


I don't need your help

by Holyshihtzu



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Camping, Enemies to Lovers, F/F, Grumpy Waverly, Slow Burn, Wayhaught endgame, Woodsy Nicole, tragic backstory
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-10
Updated: 2018-07-04
Packaged: 2019-03-16 11:57:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 65,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13635822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Holyshihtzu/pseuds/Holyshihtzu
Summary: Waverly, who has never left Alberta, is forced to bunk in a small cabin with woodsy Nicole during her first trip away from home. She quickly finds she is not a fan of the carefree, flirty, messy redhead.





	1. Day One

“I’m sorry—” She shook her head incredulously as she leant towards the blonde man in front of her, squinting at the name on his employee badge. “—Johnny, but that’s ridiculous. I’m not going to share a room with a complete stranger.”

Waverly was standing, hands on her hips in the motel lobby, a room made of wooden logs that was a little bigger than a closet. She had just spent the last six and a half hours of her life driving up from Oakland, after flying in on an early flight. She could now say that she had seen wine country, thanks to her tiny rental, a black Ford Fiesta. She had played songs from the 90s and sang loudly to keep herself awake, not realizing how long of a drive it was from Oakland to the middle of The Redwood National Forest.

Now, standing in this shack in the middle of nowhere, she shook her head as she was faced with the reality that her trip, the one that she had booked months ago on a whim when she had decided to be spontaneous and finally go see the Redwoods for her 25th birthday, was not going to go as she had planned. She was trying her best, and failing miserably, to remain polite to the front desk agent, who looked to be about 17 years old.

“I’m so sorry, ma’am.” His voice squeaked as he shuffled through the paperwork in front of him, searching frantically through the motel’s archaic booking system, for a room for her. Coming up empty his shoulders slumped as he looked up, defeated. “The storms that came through here last week took out three of our fifteen rooms. And we’re at the tail end of busy season, so all of the rooms are still full.”

“But I don’t even know anything about this person–” She moved her hands off her hips as she batted at the air with her hands.

“Nicole.” He stated proudly, nodding his chin. “She’s been here a month.”

_How could anyone be here a month._

As she looked around the rundown lobby, which smelled of mothballs, she tried to picture anyone willing to stay in a place like this that long, shuddering at the possibility of sharing a room with that person. She narrowed her eyes as she focused back on Johnny before finishing her sentence. “Nicole. I don’t know anything about this Nicole.”

He smiled brightly, eyes shining. “Oh she’s hilarious. You’ll love her! She helped me with my calculus homework last week.”

“Well, I didn’t bring my math homework with me, unfortunately.” Her statement oozed sarcasm, but he failed to pick up on it.

“Dang. That’s too bad. She’s so smart. And nice too! Mom was real worried how we were going to fit you in and she just willingly offered to share her room while eating dinner with us the other night.”

The ringing endorsement from the teenager in front of her was doing nothing to assuage her fears, so she tried reasoning with Johnny instead. “Johnny, would you share a room with a complete stranger?”

“Well…” His face scrunched up, looking towards the ceiling as he pondered, “No, I guess not.”

“EXACTLY.” She pointed at him in emphasis, before bringing her hand down and resting by her side, trying to calm herself down.

“Miss Waverly, I am SO, SO sorry, if I could change this I totally would. But there is nothing I can do. I would be happy to refund your money if you’d like to go elsewhere.”

She looked out window towards the towering trees her father had told her about as he tucked her into bed as a small child. She could still picture the hand me down Little Mermaid pajamas she wore and the ratty, old stuffed Simba she held, the same one Wynonna had wanted to throw out before she had adopted it. Waverly could even hear her father’s voice, trying his best to talk over Wynonna, loudly playing Street Fighter on her Gameboy across the room. He would recount the travels he had taken as a young man to ‘the land where the trees were as wide as busses and so tall that they touched the clouds’, promising to take her one day. He had been killed in the line of duty while serving as the town sheriff, never getting the chance to fulfill his promise. She thought fondly of him before huffing sadly. Being here, wandering this forest, this had been a dream that had captivated her since then.  

Looking back to Johnny, she sighed. “You’re the only motel in a 90-kilometer radius, correct?”

“Yes.” He looked back, apologetic.

“Well, when can I meet this Nicole then?”

_______

As she looked around the messy room, clothes and food wrappers strewn across every available surface, she sighed as she dropped her bag on the only empty floor space. Johnny had just walked her the short distance down to cabin number four, a quaint brown structure with a green tin roof. When Nicole hadn’t answered after a few minutes of knocking, he had jogged back to the office and grabbed the spare keys, letting her in and assuring her that Nicole wouldn’t mind.

Shrugging off the weird feeling of being in another person’s space, Waverly moved deeper into the abandoned room. This person, who apparently was ‘smart’ and ‘hilarious’, obviously lacked skills in tidiness and preparation, especially since she was the one who had willingly offered up a bed in her room and had failed to clean. As she moved towards the sink near the end of the cabin, Waverly paused when she saw a black underwire bra hanging loosely from the door handle to the bathroom. Shaking her head at the audaciousness of the woman she had yet to meet, she quickly stepped back, appalled, as she realized she was standing on a pair of recently worn black boy shirts. Tugging at the collar of her pink and purple flannel she bought specifically for this trip, the shirt rolled loosely at the sleeves, she sighed as she began to wonder if she was going to completely regret her next few days cohabitating with a complete stranger. 

Moving back to sit on the only clean bed, the one she presumed to be hers, she yawned as she debated her plan of action. She had planned to go back and grab a bite to eat at the tiny diner a mile down the road, but the long drive had left her tired, and the unexpected turn of events had left her surprisingly grumpy, so she began to ponder if a nap would help the situation. Leaning forward, she steadied herself over the edge of the bed as she grabbed for her cell phone out of her bag. Unlocking the device, she realized she had no cell reception and sighed as she set it down on the nightstand to her right before lying down and staring up at the ceiling.

_______

Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, Waverly startled when she noticed a lean redhead laying, legs crossed on top of the bed next to hers, engrossed in the well-worn book in her hands. Sitting up slowly, she yawned as she threw her feet over the side of the bed, hands holding her in place as she took in the redhead across from her.

Roughly the same age, Waverly noticed she was stylish in that ‘I’m not really trying’ kind of way, with her striking red hair slightly unkempt, cut at the shoulder and splayed across the black puffy vest she seemed to had haphazardly thrown over her slightly wrinkled white V-neck. As she trailed her eyes down her body, she took in her long legs. _She must be awkwardly tall._ She thought, as she noted her jeans, rolled at the ankles over tan wool hiking socks accompanied with well-worn grey hiking boots.

Shutting her book, Waverly watched as the woman smiled at her.

_Those dimples._

"Hi there! I'm Nicole, Nicole Haught! Great to meet you!"

She sucked in a breath, readying her classic smile, the one that won her the sash at the 2004 Ghost River Fair, and leaned forward, offering her hand. "I'm Waverly Earp. How are you?"

Nicole shook it, shaking for a beat too long before she dropped it and offered, "Spent the day out in Mother Nature so I can't complain. I see you found my bed." The other woman gestured to the mattress under her as Waverly quirked an eyebrow.

Thrown for a moment, she finally asked, "Your bed?"

"Yep! I mean, it doesn't super matter to me, but I did sleep in that last night, and the night before, and the night before that -- oh wait, I think I was actually camping that night. Never mind." She laughed to herself before looking back over.

Biting her tongue, she swallowed deeply, pushing down the anger she felt as she quickly glanced around the dirty room. “I didn’t know. I wasn’t sure, you know, with all of the stuff on that one.” She nodded slightly to the bed under Nicole, who just chuckled.

“Yeah, sorry about that. I meant to clean up but I thought you’d be here tomorrow.”

She quietly huffed out her nose as she stood up, “It’s fine. Do you want me to move over to that bed?”

“Oh, no. I’m good wherever.”

_I can see that._

“Okay. Well, I’m starving so I think I’m going to go get a bite to eat.”

“I have snacks. Trail Mix, Jerky, a few Snickers bars. Do you want any snacks?” She stood, heading towards her bag in the corner.

“No. I’m fine.” Her words were curt, much curter than she had intended.

_You are the nicest person in Purgatory. Why are you being like this?_

Waverly watched Nicole’s face fall as she stopped and looked back, before smiling again, lopsided and toothy. “Well just let me know. I’m happy to share. What’s mine is yours.” She gestured around the room before she let her hands fall to her sides. “Oh, and Waverly?"

"Hmm?" She looked up, eyes meeting the striking brown ones which had an apprehensive look to them.

"This is kind of weird, but I'm SUPER gay, so if that's a problem for you at all, you know, sharing a room, just let me know. I can go set up my hammock out back."

Waverly narrowed her eyebrows in question. "Isn't it supposed to rain tonight?"

She watched as the other woman visibly relaxed as she responded with a grin. "Oh, no worries. The Kirkham's have a tarp I use sometimes. It'll cover me right up." She threw her hand over her head, palm down as if indicating there was something above her.

 _She's an odd one_.

"Well, I don't really care. And honestly, I wouldn't really care if you were attracted to a her, him, or them as long as I have a place to stay.” She paused before adding, “Plus, I went through a girl phase in college so..." She blushed, silently cursing herself as she realized she had just revealed a secret she hadn’t shared with anyone besides the girls she had taken home after nights spent at the gay bar two towns over when she was questioning her sexuality.

Nicole's jaw hung in shock for a moment before she smirked. “Is that so?”

She shook her head, a little incredulous before she headed for her wallet and keys sitting on the dresser. “That’s none of your concern. I’ll be back later. Thank you for your hospitality, Nicole.” And with that, she left, leaving the still smirking Nicole behind.

_______

“Did you follow me?” Waverly asked her new roommate, who had just walked in and sat down on the stool next to her, before she picked up the second half of her grilled cheese and took another bite. 

“There’s literally only one place to eat in this town. Well, unless you count the grocery store. But that closed two hours ago.” She leaned over and took a fry from Waverly’s plate, smiling before looking to the restaurant employee on the other side of the counter who had walked over to greet her. “Hey Cheryl. Can I get the breakfast sampler?” Waverly watched as Nicole winked at the server, who looked to be in her early 30s, long blonde hair pulled up in a messy bun. 

“Sure thing.” She scribbled down on her pad, quickly passing it to the fry cook on the other side of the half wall before she leaned forward on the bar, showcasing enough cleavage to make Waverly blush. “How was your day?” She asked Nicole suggestively.

“Better now that I get to see you.” She grabbed another fry off of Waverly’s plate, completely Waverly in the process, as she popped it in her mouth and winked once more at Cheryl.

Cheryl blushed and leaned a little closer. “You make my days better, you know that?” She whispered quietly, but still loud enough that Waverly picked up on it.

Annoyed, Waverly cleared her throat, interrupting the women’s blatant flirting, as she asked. “Can I get the check, please?”

“Of course, honey.” Cheryl turned and walked away, heading for the register.

Waverly narrowed her eyes at the nickname before responding, “Thanks,” to the departing woman’s back

As Nicole reached for another fry, Waverly slapped at her hand. “Those are mine!”

She threw her hands up in the air, apologetic, but smirking nonetheless. “My bad.”

Sighing, Waverly remembered the kindness Nicole had shown in offering her room. She reached for her wallet, pulling out a $20. “Here.” She pushed her plate towards Nicole and then slapped the $20 on the counter. “They’re yours. Give Cheryl my best.”

_______

After taking much too long to figure out the motel Wi-Fi, Waverly found herself reading her Kindle on her phone when Nicole walked back in late that night, a little more disheveled than when she had left her.

“Thanks for my meal.” She said, toeing off her boots and jumping into bed.

Waverly looked over but quickly turned back, focusing intently on her phone when Nicole slipped out of her vest and yanked off her white t-shirt, catching a glimpse of taut abs before she managed to look away that made her flush a little.

“What do you mean?” She asked as she stared at her phone hard for a moment before Nicole slipped on a loose-fitting band t-shirt she had picked up off of the floor and Waverly dared glance back over.

“That diner is super cheap. If you would’ve waited for your check, you would’ve found out your meal was only $4.99. So you paid for mine too. And Cheryl _definitely_ appreciated the tip.” She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, as she unbuttoned her jeans.

Waverly looked down at her phone once more as Nicole slipped out of her jeans, revealing long pale legs that she slipped under the covers of the motel room bed.

“Thanks for the change.” Waverly mumbled as she locked her phone and plugged it into the wall, setting it face down.

“What was that?” Nicole asked, lifting her head off of the pillow.

“Oh nothing.” She tried to cover, but could tell Nicole had heard her.

Nicole ignored her for a moment before throwing the covers off, exposing her long legs once more. She leaned down and picked up a pair of tiny black workout shorts, slipping them on as she stood up and made her way over to the sink to brush her teeth.

Waverly flushed at Nicole’s brazen manner before she rolled over angrily.

She heard Nicole turn off the light and then crawl back in bed, settling herself for a moment before there was quiet.

“Waverly?”

“Mmm?” She mumbled as she found sleep overtaking her.

“There was a couple of spiders in that bed a few nights back. I debated asking the Kirkham’s to spray, but it felt wrong because they’re just doing what’s natural to them. Just don’t be surprised if you see any, okay?”

Suddenly not so tired, Waverly shot up. “What did you just say?”

“Well I think there may have been a nest in this room. The weather’s changing so it’s not uncommon for them to make their way indoors.”

“Nope, nope, nope.” She jumped out of bed and threw off the covers, searching frantically.

Nicole sat up, laughing when Waverly tossed a pair of Nicole's underwear that had been trapped in between the sheets towards her.

“Sorry about that.” Nicole said in between laughter.

“Not okay, Nicole. First you and your… your legs.” She gestured to Nicole’s body, ignoring the questioning look she was getting before proceeding, “Then the spiders. Now this?” She pointed to the panties on top of the blanket on Nicole’s bed. “Get up. We are switching beds.”

“Okay. Whatever you want.” She sighed as she grabbed her underwear and pulled down the blankets, exposing her long legs once more.

Waverly blushed before looking away. “WHERE ARE YOUR SHORTS?” She asked towards the wall.

“Sorry, I get hot at night. Not all of us can rock a unicorn pajama set.” She motioned towards Waverly’s button up flannel pajamas as she walked by, climbing into the disheveled bed.

Waverly sat down on Nicole’s recently vacated bed, reveling in the warmth as she slid under the covers. She waited for a moment before quietly speaking up. “Sorry. That was unfair of me.”

“It’s okay.” Nicole mumbled as she started to nod off.

“No. It wasn’t. I’m not usually this much of a crabby pants. I just… wasn’t expecting to become roommates with a stranger on my first trip away from home.” She sighed as she thought of how most of this experience hadn’t gone the way she had wanted.

“It’s your first trip away from home?” She sleepily asked, rolling over and looking Waverly in the eye through the darkened room.

“Yeah. I’ve never been away from Alberta.” She thought of the travels Wynonna was currently on, in much more foreign places than this, sending postcards from Shanghai and Bucharest and Phuket.

There was a yawn before Nicole asked, “You're Canadian? That’s awesome.”

“Thanks?” Waverly questioningly asked.

Nicole ignored her question and sleepily responded, “’m from Indiana.”

Waverly narrowed her eyebrows as she asked, “Why are you out here?”

“Long story. Too long for t’night.” Her eyes were fluttering closed.

“Okay, Nicole. Get some rest. Thanks for sharing your room.” She smiled at Nicole, who had just closed her eyes.

“No problem.” She said, right before nodding off.

Waverly rolled over, back to Nicole as she thought maybe this trip wouldn’t be so bad. She closed her eyes, imagining the adventures that were going to come in the next few days as she laid there, waiting for sleep to overtake her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters are not mine but any mistakes are! 
> 
> Thanks for reading! Hopefully you don't hate it! 
> 
> P.S. Thanks to @iwaseliteonce for the talk through on this one. You should check out her new work if you haven't seen it, the Nicole in that one is amazing.


	2. Day Two

Waverly awoke to the sound of a chainsaw cutting through wood. At least, she was sure that was what she was hearing. As she lifted her head off of the pillow and glanced at the old digital alarm clock next to her head, she was surprised to see the time was only 2:24. After rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she slowly sat up searching the moonlit darkness for the source of the noise, which happened to be the lump of red hair and long legs laying on top of the covers in the bed next to hers.

_Of course she snores._

Flopping back down on her mattress, Waverly angrily grabbed for the spare pillow, holding it over her ear tightly. She laid there for hours, listening to the sound that could knock down trees before she lifted her head once more and checked the time again, sighing when the clock only read 2:45.

Sitting back up, she cleared her throat loudly, hoping Nicole would pick up on the gesture, as she looked to her left at the source of the noise, noticing that Nicole was now flopped on her belly, clutching a pillow tightly as her butt protruded in the air.

_She’s got a cute butt._

After a moment Waverly glanced away, wanting to protect Nicole’s privacy, and quickly remembered her anger as she pulled the pillow tighter over her ear. She closed her eyes and started counting sheep as the muffled sounds of snoring made their way through the old motel pillow.

Several hours later, at 3:01 to be exact, Waverly, now completely exasperated, found herself at wits end. As she removed the pillow and greeted the sounds of Nicole sawing logs once more, she silently cursed a string of expletives she knew would make Wynonna blush as she yelled, “OH MY GOSH!” aloud.

Nicole awoke with a start, reaching wildly for a weapon and grabbing at the first loose object she could find. She held her underwear in the air as she jumped up and waved her arms blindly around the room.

“Wh—What’s going on?” She asked, searching frantically through the darkness.

Waverly slowly sat up and turned on the light, looking away when she noticed Nicole’s shirt was bunched on one side, exposing her defined stomach.

“Did you know you snore?” She asked, patting her bed down absentmindedly as she tried to contain the annoyance she felt.

Nicole looked at the underwear in her hand and dropped the garment as she sat on the edge of her bed and adjusted her shirt. “Do I?”

“Yeah, just a little.” She said, looking back over to Nicole, as she pinched her thumb and finger together.

Nicole rubbed her eye with the heel of her hand and looked up. “I’m sorry about that. I guess I have had a girl or two tell me that in my life.”

Waverly tried to ignore the implication of that statement as she responded, “It’s quite terrible. Like, honestly the worst.”

“Do you want me to go sleep in my truck?” She said, pointing outside.

“No, no, no. I’m being unfair. This is your room. Just… maybe could you try sleeping on your side?”

Nicole winked and slid back under the covers, grabbing for the pillow as she laid on her side facing Waverly. “Anything for you.”

As Waverly went to turn off the light she narrowed her eyes at the flirtatious woman. “Do you flirt with everyone?”

Nicole laughed as she closed her eyes, completely ignoring her question.

Waverly laid there for a few minutes in silence as she waited for sleep to overtake her, mind wandering to where her sister was right now. The last time she had spoken to Wynonna it had been over Skype when she was in Naples and was borrowing the laptop of a man named Matteo. Near the end of the call he had walked out of the bathroom completely naked sauntering over and wrapping his arms around Wynonna, who quickly apologized and hung up while giggling. That had been four months ago. Waverly had booked this trip on a whim after that, hoping to capture some of Wynonna’s spirit, albeit without the naked men. She had emailed her the day after her purchase but hadn’t heard anything, not unexpected from her flaky sister. As Waverly laid in the darkness for a few more moments, she smiled, thinking about how proud Wynonna would be of her journey.

Waverly was almost asleep when she heard the sound of nightmares once more coming from Nicole, sprawled on her back across the bed again. Huffing loudly, she threw her covers off and stalked across the room, digging through her duffel bag until she produced her headphones. Climbing back in bed, she grabbed her phone and put on her yoga music as loud as she could tolerate and laid back down, silently hoping she wouldn’t find herself responsible for murder in the morning.

_______

_Ha ha ha ha ha_

_Yo, I'll tell you what I want, what I really, really want_

_So tell me what you want, what you really, really want_

Sitting up, Waverly narrowed her eyes at the wall to her right where the music was coming from. Nicole was missing from her bed and the shower was running so she assumed the other woman was playing music while she got ready for the day. Slowly looking over to the alarm clock on her left, she noted that it was only 6:05. She had gotten exactly three hours sleep since the last time she had checked the clock.

Sighing, she stood up and pulled the headphones out of her ears, tossing them on the bed with her phone as she stretched her arms towards the ceiling before walking to the window and peering outside. Dew was covering the ground as light was just beginning to touch the trees as it peeked out from behind the horizon. There was a slight fog to the air that would seem ominous if it wasn’t for the beauty of the ginormous trees it was currently enveloping. Waverly walked back to the bed and sat down, checking the weather as she waited for Nicole to finish her shower.

After a few more minutes of mindless social media surfing, Waverly heard the water shut off and watched as Nicole strolled out of the bathroom, wrapped in only a towel. Reddening as she watched a water droplet run down Nicole’s exposed pale skin, Waverly quickly turned back to her phone and tapped at the screen wildly before she looked back over.

“I’m surprised you’re up. Did I wake you?” She heard her ask as Waverly tried to focus intently on her screen, failing in reading the words in front of her.

“Wouldn’t be the first time.” Waverly mumbled, sliding back into bed as she pulled the covers up to cover her abdomen, not bothering to look up from her phone.

“So what are we up to today?” Nicole asked with a smirk.

“We?” Waverly set her phone down and cocked an eyebrow before looking towards the ceiling as Nicole pulled on a pair of underwear under her towel.

She looked back in time to see Nicole turn towards the wall, showing off her muscled back as she dropped the towel and put on a bra. “Well, I figured you’d want a guide to show you around.” Turning back around, she smiled as she reached into her bag and grabbed a white tank top followed by a charcoal grey quarter zip pullover, quickly pulling both over her head.

“I don’t need your help.” Waverly huffed as she crossed her arms, watching Nicole slip on a pair of tan trail pants before reaching into her bag to grab for a pair of socks.

“Don’t you?” She showcased those stupid dimples, the ones Waverly was quickly starting to hate, as she smiled. “You just seem… new to this.” She gestured outside as she lifted her foot up on the bed to pull on her socks.

“Nope.” She said as she popped the ‘p’ for emphasis while standing up and heading towards the bathroom

As Nicole pulled on a beanie and reached for her hiking boots, she stopped to look up, care laden on her face. “Are you sure? There is a lot to explore out there and I—”

“I’m good, Nicole.” Waverly said curtly as she cut her off, watching as Nicole’s face fell. She shut the door to the bathroom a little too loudly before stripping and turning on the shower tap.

_______

Waverly was sitting in the corner booth, hiding behind the day-old newspaper that was left on the table when she sat down. Nicole was at the bar when she walked in, flirting heavily with Cheryl enabling her the ability to sneak by undetected, choosing a table as far away from the other women as possible.

She had been surprised when she stepped out of the shower and cautiously poked her head out of the bathroom to check for Nicole, to find that she had left already. Nicole had used all of the clean towels in the small room and Waverly complained silently to herself as used her unicorn pajamas to dry off before slipping into a pair of skinny jeans and t-shirt, tossing her flannel from yesterday over it as she walked out the door towards her rental.

“So what’s for breakfast?” Nicole asked, snapping Waverly back to reality. She watched as she took a seat, carefully placing her coffee cup down on the table and looking up expectantly.

“Peace and quiet.” She said purposefully.

Ignoring the subtext, Nicole grabbed for the leftover paper on the table. “The Dow fell 600 points two days ago.”

“That’s fascinating.” Waverly grumbled, uninterested, as Nicole peered over at her curiously.

“Why are you out here?” Nicole asked inquisitively.

Waverly then set the paper down, realizing she was still holding it as a tactic to semi-hide from Nicole, now sitting across from her. “I want to eat breakfast.” She heard herself say, as if it was the simplest answer in the world.

“No. You know what I mean. Why are you here?” She motioned broadly around the room, almost hitting the man behind her in the back of the head.

“I would assume people come here to see trees.” She said bluntly, before thanking Cheryl’s counterpart, Tom, who had just delivered her short stack.

“Hey Tom, do you mind asking Cheryl to bring my breakfast down here when it’s done?” She asked before the man left.

“You got it, Red.” He said as he departed, stopping to whisper in the blonde’s ear a few tables down, who looked back at Nicole and winked.

She blushed before she turned back to Waverly. “What are you going to go see today?”

Waverly chewed for a moment, swallowing loudly before responding. “Trees?”

Nicole laughed heartily, startling Waverly at the prettiness of the sound, before she responded. “Well I sure as hell hope so.” She looked up at Cheryl, thanking her for dropping off her omelet as she grabbed her hand and squeezed it lightly before releasing it as Cheryl departed. Nicole grabbed for the ketchup on the table and began dumping it atop her eggs as she talked. “Okay, so I’m not sure if I’m trying to be overly helpful or you’re just being reserved, which is completely okay, you owe me nothing,” She threw her hands in the air, feigning innocence as she spoke. “ _But_ I have been here a month, and I’ve been in the mountains for the last six months, so just a helpful tip, don’t take your rental off road today. It rained hard two days ago so the ground is going to be really soft, and as adorable as your Fiesta is, you’re going to get it stuck if you do.”

“I know that.” Waverly said sharply as she made a mental note to consider Nicole's words, scolding herself internally for not thinking of that.

“Okay. Good.”

The meal was mostly quiet afterward as forks scraped across the old ceramic plates and they both sipped their coffees in silence. When Waverly went to go grab her wallet to pay, Nicole softly reached for her hand, effectively stopping her.

“I’ve got this.” There was a kindness in her words that Waverly was not used to seeing from acquaintances who were basically complete strangers.

“This isn’t a date.” She chided.

Waverly watched as Nicole bristled at the implication before calmly replying, “You paid for my meal last night. I am just returning the favor.”

“Oh. Well that is nice of you. Thank you.” She stood up, hesitating for a moment before she looked down at Nicole. “Do you want to join me today?”

“I can’t. I have plans.” She smiled before taking another ketchup covered bite of her eggs.

“But you offered earlier!” She stamped her foot as she mentally scolded herself for acting like a child.

“You took too long, someone came along with a better offer.” Just then Cheryl appeared grabbing for both women’s checks and Waverly’s empty plate.

“Did you enjoy your meal?” She asked Nicole.

Waverly watched Nicole lean in a little closer towards the blonde woman before she decided to spare herself the blatant flirting and turned fully, walking angrily out the door.

_______ 

Waverly spent the morning driving around, taking in the breathtaking sights right off of the freeway. She had talked to the Kirkham’s before leaving and they had suggested she go about 20 miles down the road, making sure to stop “before she hit the bend that led to the misty ocean front with black rocks.” Their instructions had been vague, but they had assured her that if she was worried, Nicole would be willing to drive her down and show her the hike they were referring to. Waverly bristled at their suggestion before smiling and thanking them for the directions, departing quickly before they mentioned Nicole again. She had stopped at the grocery store to buy a bag of jerky and trail mix before setting off. After getting back to and cruising down Highway 1, Waverly was in heaven. The trees were mere feet off the road, hundreds of feet high, towering down like the giants they were. She listened to music as she appreciated the views afforded to her.

When she did eventually stop at a random pull off people were parked by, she was pleasantly surprised to find instructions to a trail that looked to be about six miles long. The views up the path were everything her father had promised her they would be. She walked for about an hour, occasionally stopping to appreciate the scenery around her before she decided to turn back and continue on her drive.

She then stopped at what she believed was the misty ocean front with black rocks the Kirkham’s had mentioned. As she walked around the chilly beach, she pulled her flannel tighter around her body. Finding a narrow rocky ravine with a stream that fed into the ocean, she decided to follow the water, skipping from rock to rock, carefully avoiding the stream before she decided to head back, wanting to be back to her car before the sun set.

When she arrived back to the cabin, she switched on the light and stood in the tiny room shocked, processing the sight in front of her. All of Nicole ’s clothing had been picked up, folded and placed in a pile next to her duffel, the trash that had littered the room was gone, not even taking up residence in the bins, there was a fresh pile of towels placed next to the sink just outside the bathroom, and a note sitting neatly on her bed.

> _Sorry it didn’t look like this when you showed up. Hope this is better. I’ll be back around 8._
> 
> _P.S. I think I’ve found all of my underwear, no promises though._

Waverly smiled as she sat down on her bed, clutching Nicole’s note and appreciating the clean room. It seemed to be an unofficial tradition for the two women to eat at the diner together, so she scooted up, leaning against the headboard as she waited for Nicole to arrive. As the digital clock next to her bed struck 8:30, she knew she had to head to the diner or risk going without dinner altogether, so she grabbed her wallet and keys and headed out. 

When she got back to the still empty hotel with her grilled cheese to go a half an hour later, she found herself oddly disappointed to be alone again. Changing into her spare pair of pajamas, a pair of pink cotton boxers and an oversized sweatshirt, she ate her meal while watching a few episodes of Parks and Rec on her phone. When the clock struck 10, she debated staying up to wait for Nicole, wanting to thank her for cleaning the motel room, but decided the gesture could wait until morning. After getting ready for bed, she closed her eyes and tried to appreciate the quiet. But as the moments ticked on, she found the stark silence was doing nothing to assuage her worry for the missing woman.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had some studying for a midterm I was avoiding all weekend long so this happened.
> 
> Sorry for the mistakes! I edited this chapter a lot so there's probably more than I'd like.


	3. Day Three

"DAMMIT."

Waverly shot up as she processed the noise she had just heard. She squinted towards Nicole's bed and looked into the light beaming from the flashlight Nicole was currently cradling in between her cheek and shoulder as she clutched her toe, sitting on the end of her bed. 

"Wh-- What's going on?" Waverly asked as she flicked on the lamp next to her bed to offer Nicole more light. 

"Sorry. I know you hate noise. I was trying to be quiet." Her words were clipped as she rubbed at her foot, which she had clearly just injured, as she shied away with her head facing down.

"No, it's fine. What time is it?" Waverly asked curiously with a yawn.

"It's 1:00. I know it's late and I know I said I'd be back earlier but things came up. I'm sorry." She put her foot back down on the floor standing up and turning away to drop her pants, hobbling towards the bed and climbing in, yanking off her sweater in the process.

Waverly, still trying to process what just happened, turned so her body was facing Nicole. "Are you okay?"

"Fine." She said brusquely, pulling up the covers and going to roll on her side.

It was then that Waverly noticed a darkened circle around Nicole's eye.

“Nicole!” Waverly rushed forward, jumping out of her bed and sitting on the edge of the other, reaching for the bruise before stopping herself and dropping her hand into her lap. “What the hell happened? Are you okay? Is this why you were out so late?”

Nicole turned fully away, grabbing for the pillow next to her, holding it against her chest as she spoke. “It’s fine. Sorry I woke you.”

"Nicole?" She asked quietly.

“Go to bed, Waverly.” Nicole said as she shifted, clutching the pillow a little tighter.

Waverly hesitated amount, facing Nicole's back before she went to move back to her bed, stopping midway and looking back. “Will you at least tell me you’re okay?”

"I’m fine," Nicole bluntly said as she let go of the pillow long enough to reach blindly behind her for the lamp switch, struggling for a moment to turn it off.

Waverly sat back down on her bed in the darkness, reeling from the interaction as she laid back down, eyes scrunched in confusion and concern. Something about the abrupt change in Nicole’s demeanor didn’t sit right and she wanted to address it, but knew she wasn’t entitled to any sort of demands, especially with her recent behavior. As she laid there for what felt like an eternity, she thought of what could have possibly happened in the middle of nowhere to cause Nicole harm, all the things she needed to apologize for, and how exactly she could make up her terrible mood she had been projecting for the last few days.

_______

When she awoke in the morning, Waverly was pleasantly surprised to find that she had slept through the rest of the night. If Nicole had snored, she hadn't heard it. She looked over to Nicole, messy raid hair sprawled across her pillow, dark circle around her eye, and continued her thinking from the night before. Nicole had graciously offered her a space in her cabin, had been willing to show her around the area, had paid for her meal, had offered multiple times to sleep elsewhere, and had apologized constantly for every action she had taken so far that Waverly had taken issue with. There was nothing Nicole had done to deserve the treatment she had gotten and Waverly knew she needed to fix this.

Quietly getting up, Waverly snuck into the bathroom and showered quickly, throwing on a pair of sweats and her old cheer sweatshirt as she ran over how she could make the situation better. She looked in the mirror on the back of the door and began thinking about how rude she had been. She could practically hear her aunt scolding her in the back of her mind. “I didn’t raise you to be like this.” Gus would be saying as the slapped her hand threateningly with the wooden spoon she had just grabbed. Even though Gus would never hurt a fly, she really did have an air about her that gave you the impression you shouldn’t cross, or even disappoint, her. With that in mind, Waverly began practicing her speech.

She repeated her apology several times, finally satisfied with what she had prepared. As she walked out of the bathroom she expected Nicoled to still be asleep and was stunned to find Nicole standing topless peering into her duffel. Waverly squawked as she froze mid step, throwing her hands over her eyes.

“Nicole! I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to bust— I mean, I thought you were still sleeping.”

She heard a giggle and some rustling before Nicole kindly said, “You can come out now.”

She slowly spread her middle and ring finger, peeking out from behind them and assuring clothing was back on before she allowed herself to drop her hands completely and step further into the room.

“I am so sorry! I was just so breast— I mean stressed, and I didn’t think you’d be up already. I was trying to be so quiet because I have been so hor—” Her words took on a progressively higher register as she spoke until Nicole cut her off midsentence.

“Hey. I’m sorry. I am kind of in a rush, and I thought you’d be in there a little bit longer. Obviously I didn’t time it right.” She said as she sat down and grabbed for her shoes.

Waverly noted yet another apology from Nicole before she responded. “You’re in a hurry?”

Lacing up her final shoe, she stood and grabbed for her wallet and keys. “Yeah I have somewhere I was supposed to be 15 minutes ago.”

“Oh, okay.” Waverly said, trying to contain her disappointment.

Nicole paused, looking puzzled. “Is that okay?”

"I mean yeah, of course. I was just— What I mean to say is— Do you—" She gulped as she mustered her courage.

“Are you broken?” Nicole laughed as she spun her keys around on her finger.

Waverly laughed as she finally spit out what she had been intending to ask. “I was just going to ask if I could I take you to breakfast? You know, to apologize for being such a…" She trailed off, trying to think of the right word.

“Asshole?” She heard Nicole ask with a smile.

Chuckling, Waverly proceeded, “Well I was going to go with something less hostile. More like, _grouch_. But I suppose ‘asshole’ is fitting.”

"So, let me get this straight. You are a “grouch” to me for the first 36 hours I know you and now you’re asking me out **?"**  Nicole quirked her head to the side and smiled brightly, dimples cutting into her cheeks.

"No, of course not! This is still not a date. Not that I  _wouldn't_ want that, of course. You are lovely, and thoughtful, and very muscu—" She paused, derailing her rambling as she tried to collect herself. She finally glanced back to Nicole and noticed as she was trying very hard to contain a chuckle. Realization dawned on Waverly’s face as she scrunched up her expression in mock anger. “You were kidding, weren’t you?”

"Of course I was. And my thing is going to be pretty quick this morning. I can meet you in an hour, if the offer still stands, that is." She moved towards the door, grabbing a green ball cap and shoving it on her messy hair on her way out.

“I would love that. I’ll meet you at the diner at 8:30?” She asked as Nicole opened the door to the cabin.

“It’s a date.” Nicole said as she shut the door, not giving Waverly the chance to respond.

_______

75 minutes later, Waverly found herself sitting in the same booth as yesterday, nervously sipping coffee while waiting for Nicole. Twice now Nicole had been late and with every passing minute she wondered if she had been stood up until she heard the door chime and a burst of messy red hair under a green ball cap appeared.

Waverly watched as Nicole quickly searched around the uncrowded diner before spotting her, smile appearing on her bruised face. She took note of Nicole’s outfit, something she’d overlooked earlier, mind still preoccupied with the unintended intrusion. She was wearing a long sleeve oatmeal colored Henley and a pair of form fitting sweats, Waverly took a moment to appreciate how well the outfit showed off Nicole’s body as she walked over confidently and slid in the booth.

“Sorry I’m late.” Nicole said, making Waverly cringe, noting the ‘sorry’ that had tumbled from Nicole’s mouth once more, but appreciated the return of her brazen attitude.

“It’s not a problem. Thanks for meeting me.” She played with the rim of her cooled coffee mug as she debated what she wanted to say, waiting for Nicole to finish telling Tom her drink order.

“So, how did you enjoy the scenery yesterday?” Nicole asked.

She smiled without looking up, focusing on her coffee cup. “It was breathtaking… truly stunning.” She stopped to let Nicole thank Tom, who had just delivered her coffee, before they both placed their breakfast orders. Looking back to Nicole as Tom departed, she continued, looking Nicole in the eye this time. “I was a little nervous to go wandering alone so I didn’t get to explore as much as I wanted, but everything I saw was just spectacular.”

“Well…” Nicole broke eye contact as she fiddled with her thumbs on the table. “I was wondering, and I know you are perfectly capable,” she added as she threw her hands in the air, obviously wanting to avoid a retort from Waverly. “But do you want a guide? I would love to show you around. And it would actually be pretty nice to have some company.”

“Hey.” Waverly reached forward and placed a hand on Nicole’s forearm, hoping the contact would not be unwanted. “Before you offer, I think I need to properly apologize.”

“For what?” Nicole smirked as she tried to look puzzled.

“Stop it.” She playfully said as she shoved Nicole’s forearm before bringing her hand back to the handle of her coffee mug. “You know how big of an “asshole” I’ve been.” She made air quotes with her fingers and then took a breath as she opened up to Nicole. “I've not really traveled. My sister kind of took that option away from me when she took off at the age of 18. I had to stay home, and take care of... things. But my dad had always talked about the Redwoods. I guess he took a trip here when he was younger and it was a big life changing thing for him. I know it meant a lot to him and so it meant a lot to me. He couldn’t ever bring me and it’s something I’ve always wanted to do so I booked this trip on a whim one day a few months ago and now here I am."

Waverly paused as Nicole asked, perplexed, “And that made you grumpy?”

“Oh, yeah. That part’s important, huh?” She smiled, eyes crinkling at the corners. “You see, I'm a planner. I plan things out well in advance of when they actually happen and I had every detail of this trip planned out. I had researched where I was staying, where I was going to go hiking, what I was going to be eating. Not having my own cabin just threw me off.  _Way_  more than it should have. I'm so so SO sorry that you took the brunt of .” She leaned forward and placed her hand back on Nicole’s, unsure of why she needed contact with her.

Nicole looked down at the hand on her arm and smiled before looking back up. "It's no big deal.”

Waverly tilted her head to the side and asked, astonished, “No big deal?! No big deal? You should be furious!”

“Why?” Nicole looked genuinely perplexed.

“Because… because…” She struggled to come up with an answer. “Well, you deserve better.”

“But you apologized? And I’m cool with it. So…” She trailed off and smiled as she took a sip.

Waverly quietly asked. “Do you want to hate me for a little bit first?”

“No. I think I’ll just give you another shot. Don’t screw it up though.” She winked, sending a warm flutter up Waverly’s spine.

Changing the topic, Waverly asked, eyebrows knitted in concern, "So what happened last night? I was worried when you didn’t get in at 8:00. And how did you get a black eye?”

Waverly watched as Nicole paused for a moment before responding.

“You were worried?” Nicole lifted her arm, effectively dropping Waverly’s hand that had been resting on hers, as Nicole brought her hand up to rub awkwardly at the back of her neck.

Waverly smiled as she answered, “Of course! It’s hard to not worry about a person who has been nothing but kind to you when they don’t show up at the time they said they would.”

“Well that’s really sweet.” Nicole said as she reached for the ketchup, noticing Tom heading their way with their food. “So, back to what we’re doing today. I think we should start with Fern Canyon. I’m sure that was on your list.”

Waverly took note of Nicole’s purposeful avoidance of the subject of her eye.

“Of course, Nicole.” She playfully rolled her eyes as she took a bite of her pancakes.

“Then I don’t need to bother listing all of the cool movies that were filmed there?” Nicole asked.

“Jurassic Park is my favorite movie, so no I think we are good.” Waverly said before gagging a little as she watched Nicole pour ketchup over her entire plate.

“Mine too!” There was a twinkle to Nicole’s eye that set Waverly’s heart aflutter as they launched into a conversation about their favorite movies over breakfast.

_______

As they wandered back down the trail, both wearing headlamps in the recently darkened forest, Waverly laughed for what had to be the millionth time that day. Nicole had been an amazing guide. She was funny and quick witted, having a joke constantly ready. They had first run back to their cabin so Nicole could change out of her sweats. She had also packed a bag for the day, shoving everything they could possibly need in an impossibly tiny pack before they set off.

They had wandered around Fern Canyon for a few hours, climbing over fallen tree trunks and skipping over rocks as they got to know each other, pausing to sit on a dry log and converse in an abandoned corner. Waverly found herself listening intently to the stories Nicole told about the places she had seen in the world. Nicole had been on more adventures in her life than Waverly had ever even dreamed of. But for as much as they conversed, she noticed Nicole had kept vague about what took her out on the road, also avoiding going into specific details of her personal life. Waverly knew nothing about what she did for work, how she financed her trip, or why exactly she had spent the last six months in the mountains. She had mentioned that she had recently graduated and that she had a sibling, but she had quickly changed the topic after revealing that detail.

When Nicole had rubbed a water droplet that had fallen on her face, she had winced and gasped as she cupped the bruise, but when Waverly had tried to broach the subject, Nicole had brushed it off and had reached for her wrist and pulled them further up the canyon to explore.

After they had finished wandering the canyon, they had taken the trail nearby and had spent the afternoon exploring it together. Nicole graciously offered to take pictures of Waverly in front of the massive trees she was so enamored with. They had taken a few selfies upon Waverly’s insistence, and when another couple had passed by and caught them trying to take a selfie, they had graciously offered to take a pic for them. Nicole had stood there awkwardly until Waverly had wrapped into her side, squeezing her middle and smiled brightly that she felt Nicole relax in her grasp.

The day was perfect and Waverly was slowly learning what Johnny had meant when he had spoken so highly of Nicole. She seemed truly flawless. As Waverly trailed behind the energetic redhead, she took a moment to appreciate Nicole’s flawless backside.

“Miss Earp? Are you checking out my ass?” Nicole had turned around and caught her in the act.

Waverly blushed and shook her head, running to catch up with Nicole.

“You wish.” She playfully said as she shoved at Nicole’s shoulder.

_______

Back in their cabin and in their pajamas, they were sitting on Nicole’s bed sharing a blanket of Nicole’s as they ate jerky and laughed hysterically to mindless YouTube videos. They were far enough apart they were not quite touching, but close enough that Waverly could feel heat radiating off of Nicole, appreciating both the figurative and literal warmth she provided.

“Do you want a drink?” Nicole asked as she slid off of the bed.

“Like a water refill?” Waverly held up her almost empty metal water bottle that had been lying next to her and shook it.

“I was thinking more like whiskey? But I can refill that for you.” Nicole then leaned forward and took the bottle out of her grasp before she had a chance to set it back down.

Thrown by Nicole’s question, Waverly said the first thing that came to mind. “You drink?”

Nicole laughed as she walked over to her bag while asking, “What kind of question is that? Did you think I was Mormon?”

“You’re just so… I don’t know. I guess I just wasn’t expecting it.” She wasn’t quite sure why the question had shocked her so she brushed passed it. “But yes, an Earp never says no to whiskey. I’d love one, thanks.”

Nicole set Waverly’s water bottle on the ground as she reached into her duffel and grabbed a small glass liquor bottle. Picking the water bottle back up, she looked over at Waverly as she tossed the alcohol on the bed and headed for the sink. “I’m more of a beer girl myself, but that doesn’t travel well. And back to your question, I only drink when I want to celebrate things.”

Waverly took a long pull from the bottle, holding it out to Nicole who exchanged the now filled water bottle for the whiskey as she sat back on the bed, legs stretched out and placed the shared blanket back over her legs.

“What are we celebrating?” Waverly asked as she set the water bottle down on her other side.

Nicole took a drink of the liquor, licking her lips and then smiled over at Waverly. “New friendships, of course.”

Waverly reached for the bottle, taking a swig and appreciated the burn before responding, “So you forgive me then?”

Nicole smiled and took another drink of the liquor before setting it down on the nightstand next to her. “Nothing to forgive. I’m just glad you aren’t an asshole all of the time,” She said with a chuckle.

Waverly could feel the liquor beginning to course through her as she pushed Nicole’s shoulder and giggled. “I’ll have you know that I am usually very nice. I even have a sash to prove it.”

“Prove it then.” Nicole dared as she picked up the bottle and took another swallow.

“It’s not a traveling sash, silly. It would get dirty.” Waverly said as she rolled her eyes and kicked Nicole’s foot with her own, allowing her leg to rest against Nicole’s completely.

Nicole looked down at the contact and then back over to her. “Well, I’ll have you know I carry all of my sashes with me wherever I go,” she said in a serious tone, taking another sip of the whiskey before she broke into laughter at her own joke.

They both launched into a fit of giggles, scooting progressively closer as the night progressed and the alcohol overtook their system. Waverly drunkenly opened up to Nicole, telling her all about Purgatory, the perils of bartending with handsy customers, especially her stupid ex who insisted on coming in weekly, her college degrees, her sister who had a tendency to disappear for months at a time, her desire to get away more, and had even told her about the two women she had been with during college. Nicole had listened intently, seemingly enamored as she offered drunken advice and affirmation. 

Waverly had reveled in a friendly day spent with the mysterious woman who had been nothing but kind to her since they had first met. Waverly even found herself glad that she had opened up to Nicole, sharing some secrets that absolutely no one in her life knew, even if the alcohol was the reason for her confessions. It wasn’t until the next morning when she woke up in Nicole’s bed, with her head pressed to Nicole’s heart, a leg snaked between hers and her hand resting comfortably up her shirt that Waverly began to panic.


	4. Day Four

Waverly started slowly moving her hand down Nicole’s shirt when she heard her let out a low moan, beginning to stir as she woke.

 _What did you do, Waverly._  
  
Getting her palm to the base of the Nicole’s shirt, she froze when she heard her groggily mutter, “What the hell? How did you get back over here?”

Confused, Waverly hurriedly removed her hand, throwing it in the air innocently. “What do you mean?”

“I put you to bed. How are you over here again?” She asked, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes and sitting up.

“You put me to bed?” She asked with a furrowed brow.

“Do you not remember last night?” Nicole asked, clearly confused.

She paused, trying her hardest to collect a memory from the previous night before conceding. “Umm… no not really.”

“Well, let’s just say, you’re a handsy drunk.” Nicole offered, dimples on display, after looking down at the leg in between her own.

Offended, Waverly countered, “Excuse me. I have never once been called a handsy drunk.” She threw up a fist and began counting with her fingers. “Angry? Yes. Emotional? Yes. Story Teller? Yes. Handsy? Never. You must be mistaken.” She finished, dropping her hand back down to her lap.

“Well I don’t know what to tell you. I put you in your bed twice last night but apparently you snuck back over a third time.” Nicole said as she gestured to Waverly’s body, still wrapped with her own.

“I’m sorry,” she said as she removed her leg from between Nicole’s, immediately feeling a sense of loss at the broken contact.

Nicole chuckled then and placed a hand on her thigh over the covers, squeezing lightly before she released. “Hey, I’m not complaining. I do love it when a pretty girl throws herself at me, but I could tell you were a little more drunk than I was and I am not a fan of taking advantage of anyone. I didn’t want you to do anything you’d regret today.”

“Well… that’s very nice of you.” Waverly said as she found herself lost in her own thoughts. She couldn’t remember a time where anyone she had ever dated had looked out for her well-being like that.

 _We’re not dating_.

She quickly scolded herself, before looking back over at Nicole.

“Listen,” Nicole said as she slapped her hands on her thighs before pushing the bedding aside and standing up. “I have somewhere to be. Feel free to make yourself at home.” She winked, motioning to Waverly in her bed before proceeding, “And if you want to do breakfast again, I can meet you in an hour.”

Waverly watched, enamored at the sight of the pantsless Nicole as she moved to her duffel and bent over.

Shaking her head lightly, Waverly tried to refocus her thoughts as she asked, “Can I come along?”

Nicole turned around and grinned as she debated aloud. “Umm….”

For a moment, Waverly thought she was going to get confirmation but at the last second Nicole threw out a _nope_ and grabbed a pair of shorts out of her bag, stepping into them and pulling them up before she reached for the hem of her shirt and lifted it off.

Waverly squeaked out a surprised cry at yet again seeing Nicole’s bare chest before she slapped her hands over her eyes and asked, “What exactly do you go do, Nicole. You’re not a drug dealer, are you?” She laughed awkwardly, not completely sure she wanted to know the truth.

“Nope, I’m Mormon. Remember? Mormons don’t deal drugs.” There was a pause before she added, “And I don’t know why you’re acting bashful now. I woke up to you palming these ladies this morning.” Waverly peeked out from behind her hands as Nicole gestured to her now covered chest.

“Breakfast?” Nicole asked with a bright smile as she moved for the door.

Waverly dropped her hands as she beamed at the enigmatic woman’s retreating form. “It’s a date, Haught.”

After hearing the door click shut, Waverly threw her head back down on the pillow and rolled over, breathing in Nicole’s scent, causing flashes of the previous night hit her like a freight train. She clearly remembered laughing as Nicole talked about the group of backpackers on the Appalachian Trail she ran into. She had gotten too high with them that night and had insisted they all climb the trees, saying the ‘Ents were going to take them on the rest of their journey.’ Waverly then remembered taking a sip of the drink that she knew would put her over the edge. She had called Nicole beautiful and had moved to straddle her. They had looked into each other’s eyes. When Waverly had gone to move a group of stray red hairs out of Nicole’s eyes, she had leaned into Waverly's touch as she licked her lips. When Waverly had leaned forward to kiss her, Nicole had politely insisted that it was time to go to sleep and had delicately pushed Waverly off of her lap before standing up and taking her hand, guiding her back to her own bed. Waverly had laid there for exactly two minutes before coming up with what she thought was a genius plan at the time, loudly announcing it was too cold, and jumped out of her bed to cuddle with Nicole, who had quickly stood up, flipped on the light and had grabbed her packable down throw, tossing it over Waverly’s bed before once again reaching for her hand and guiding her back to bed, insisting the throw would keep her warmer than her body ever could. She clearly remembered hearing Nicole begin snoring before she got up a third time and settled into the sleeping woman, who wrapped her arms around Waverly and sleepily kissed her forehead. She had sighed happily into the contact before falling asleep on her chest.

Waverly felt a pang of guilt for how she handled herself. She normally didn’t let alcohol get the best of her, and she definitely had never become so affectionate, especially if it was unwanted. She laid in Nicole’s bed for a few minutes, worrying over her behavior before once again resolving she needed to apologize to Nicole for her actions.

_______

“Thanks Cheryl.” Nicole said with a dimpled grin as she deposited their orders and lingered for a moment, leaning a little closer to Nicole.

“Am I going to see you tonight?” She said suggestively as she slid her hand across the back of the booth, and placed her palm on Nicole’s back, rubbing lightly.

Waverly watched, irritation rising as Nicole’s face covered with a blush.

“I’ll see what I can do.” She said as she leaned away from the contact, reaching for the ketchup near the wall.

“You better.” The blonde said with a smile as she retreated.

Waverly glared at the waitress before she turned to her oblivious breakfast companion and cleared her throat.

“Listen, Nicole. I wanted to apologize.” She said as she sat there, hands folded.

“Frwht?” Nicole asked as she looked up, mouth full of ketchup covered eggs.

“I remembered how I acted last night. I’m sorry I was so pushy. That wasn’t fair to you.”

She chewed for a moment, swallowing loudly before she replied. “It’s okay. I don’t mind when pretty women come on to me. Like I said, I just want them to know they are doing it before I reciprocate.” She smiled her dimpled smile before shoving another large bite of her breakfast in her mouth.

“How are you always so okay with everything?” Waverly asked curiously as she unfolded her arms and picked up her fork.

Nicole simply shrugged as she reached for her coffee, taking a long sip.

“That’s all I’m going to get?” Waverly asked, mimicking her shrug before she poured syrup on her short stack.

“I mean, I honestly don’t mind soooo….” She trailed off before taking another large bite of her omelet.

“You’re an odd one.” Waverly mumbled as she released a chuckle and took her first bite.

_______

Nicole laughed heartily as Waverly ran after her, reaching desperately for her ball cap.

“Give it back, Nicole. You’re ruining my vibe.”

“Your vibe?” She called back, laughing as she picked up speed. “You’re ridiculous.”

Waverly cursed her short legs as she struggled to catch up to the Nicole, running down the trail. “I bought it for this trip. The reviews said it was perfect for the mountains or the beach. And it goes with my outfit.” She gestured to her grey and white flannel as she pumped her short legs harder.

Their afternoon had yet again been magical. They’d gone hiking on the damnation creek trail. It had been foggy as they made their way through the massive trees, stopping occasionally to appreciate the lush ferns sprinkled with dew and the knotted wood of old trees that had fallen throughout the years and been hollowed out by nature. The path had eventually led down to the beach where they chose to find a quiet spot to sit and eat lunch together, having picked up a premade hoagie and bag of chips at the market before heading out. As they conversed, Nicole had inched closer to Waverly until their thighs were pressed together. She had promised to come visit Purgatory when she was ready to move on from California, insisting that she had only been to Canada once as a child when she had gone to Toronto, and was excited to see the natural beauty the country had to offer. Waverly had promised to take her to Banff, insisting that she show Nicole all of the places she had spent her summers traversing as a child with her uncle.

There was something about Nicole that Waverly was drawn to, something deep inside that she couldn’t pinpoint, but she knew that they had a special connection. And if the fleeting glances she caught Nicole giving her when she thought Waverly wasn’t looking were any indication, she figured Nicole felt something too. Still, with all of the bonding they had been doing, there was still a nagging feeling in the back of Waverly’s mind, something eating at her about Nicole’s mysterious background. Nicole, so carefree and courteous, wouldn’t let her in. Every time Waverly glanced at Nicole’s black eye, she was reminded that she was only getting a part of her story, and she wondered what she needed to do to be able to learn the rest from her.

As they ran loudly through the clearing towards the side of the road where they had parked, Waverly watched from behind as noticed Nicole begin to slow down. Seizing the opportunity, she sped up, cornering Nicole against her truck as she threw her arms up on either side of Nicole’s slender waist. Panting heavily, she eventually asked, “How… are you… so fast?”

Her dimples appeared and she raised her hands and removed Waverly’s hat from her own, placing it back on the rightful owner’s head.

“Years of track and the genes that gave me these amazing gams,” she said with a smirk as she looked down towards her legs.

“One of many amazing features.” Waverly said offhandedly, staring into deep brown eyes.

They stood there for a moment, tension lacing the air as they both caught their breath. Nicole moved forward, leaning in slowly, looking from her eyes down to her lips and then back up again. Waverly’s breath hitched as she began in to Nicole’s movements ever so slightly. She closed her eyes and awaited lips to meet her own when she felt her ball cap yanked from her head once more and a rush of air blew by as Nicole ducked under her arm and ran back up the trail.

“How do you like my vibe?” She heard the retreating woman yell.

Waverly stood for a moment, confused at the sudden change in the air before she yelled back, “You’re dead, Haught,” and took off in a sprint.

_______

“What the hell, Nicole? I don’t get you, you know. You flirt with Cheryl, you flirt with me, but when I try and make a move you back off.” She said as she slammed the door to the truck a little too hard, wincing at the noise but proceeding anyway.

Waverly was positive Nicole was interested in her. Nicole kept finding any excuse to touch her hand, her thigh, her hair, and the fleeting glances alone were enough to be a dead giveaway. But every time she had tried to reciprocate, Nicole had brushed off the gesture and Waverly was beginning to think she was going mad. Eventually she had mustered up what courage she had left and had grabbed Nicole’s hand, just as they were pulling into the parking lot of the motel, as it dangled off the armrest in between their bodies. Nicole had yanked it away, hissing as if she had been burned, and that was when Waverly had snapped.

“You don’t think I want you?” Nicole said in anger as she fiddled with her keys, trying unsuccessfully to unlock the motel room door. She looked over, her tone rising as she spoke. “When you’re not being a complete asshole, you’re fucking brilliant, beautiful, and the sexiest kind of awkward I’ve ever seen.”

“I am not awkward.” Waverly pouted, throwing a lip out and narrowing her brow as Nicole eventually found the right key, unlocking the door and stepping into the darkened cabin.

“Of course you are!” There was laughter in her heated words as she spoke. “Averting your eyes when you see a tiny bit of exposed ski—”

“Flashing me like it’s Girls Gone Wild is not ‘a tiny bit of exposed skin,’ Nicole.” She scolded as she walked over and flicked on the lamp light.

“Oh, don’t pretend like you don’t like it!” She said incredulously as the tension built between them. “I saw _every single time_ you checked me out. And experimenting in college? Tell me what the results were of your hypothesis, huh? What did you find out from that?”

“How dare you! You don’t even know me!” Waverly said as she crossed her arms and stood up taller.

“No, I’m being serious. I was straightforward with you on day one. I told you I was gay and all you have done since then is flirt with me, but all I know about you is that you went through a ‘girl phase.’” She made air quotes sarcastically before continuing. “What does that even mean? Are you truly interested or can I stop holding back because I’m really not in the mood to open myself up just to get hurt again.”

Waverly swore she heard glass shatter as Nicole let down a barrier.

“Again?” She timidly asked, dropping her hard stance as she moved closer to the obviously panicked Nicole.

“It’s nothing. Forget about it.” She waved her hand dismissively and grabbed for her keys. “Listen. I kind of have to be somewhere.”

“But where do you need to be?” Waverly got loud again, throwing her hands in the air.

Nicole matched her tone and tossed her keys back on the table. “Do you really want to know? Really Waverly? I’m going to see a horse!”

“Bull-freaking-shit, Nicole. Tell me the truth.” Waverly angrily spat as she threw her hands on her hips.

“I am! I’m a vet. Why would I lie about that?” Her tone grew louder and Waverly knew that if anyone was currently in the adjacent cabins, they were also privy to this conversation. “This black eye, it’s from Cheryl’s horse. She mentioned it was sick and so I offered to take a look at it. Roger—yes, she named her horse fucking ‘Roger’—kicked me in the face when I was looking him over. I didn’t tell you because one,” She threw her index finger in the air, “it sounds ridiculous, and two,” she added her middle finger, “I don’t like talking about it.”

Deciding that anger was not helping this conversation, Waverly dropped her stance and tone and stepped forward into Nicole’s space. “Why don’t you like talking about it, Nicole?”

There was a long pause as Nicole looked away, staring at the generic hotel room painting hung on the wall before she looked back to her with tears in her eyes.

“My family and girlfriend were killed on their way to my graduation. I was at school at CSU and they had flown into Denver. They had just picked up their rental and were driving up when some dumbass drunk ran a red light and t-boned them. I didn’t even find out about it until after I had finished walking. I thought they had just gotten stuck in construction.” The tears in her eyes were slowly starting to fall as she wildly tried to blink them away. Her tone was quieter when she continued talking. “You want to know how I paid for this trip? Life insurance money from my parent’s policy. And do you want to know why I don’t talk about it? Because it hurts so _fucking_ much.” Her voice cracked and she shook her head, trying to push her feelings down. “This trip I’ve been on? My girlfriend and I were going to go rock climbing in Yosemite before we moved up to Oregon together. I had an internship and she was just about to start her medical residency. I took her ashes and spread them in Yosemite. After that week was over, I couldn’t bring myself to resume a normal life. It didn’t feel fair. So I went and visited all the places her and I said we were going to go see; I hiked the Appalachian Trail, I went and saw the Grand Canyon, I stayed in the Tetons for a while. I tried to my best to heal.”

There was a deafening silence in the room as Nicole finished. Waverly seized the opportunity to throw herself forward, squeezing Nicole tightly as she finally let the tears fall.

Slowly moving them back towards Nicole’s bed, careful not to step on Nicole's feet as they shuffled, Waverly eventually reached the bed and pushed down on Nicole’s shoulders, getting her to sit as she sobbed, before Waverly sat down next to her and enveloped her in a hug, lightly running her hand through her hair soothingly. They stayed like that for several minutes, tears staining Waverly’s flannel as she did her best to soothe the wounded woman. Eventually Waverly felt Nicole quiet down, sniffling lightly as she lifted her head.

“Thanks for listening.” Nicole said quietly. “I haven’t told anyone.”

“I’m honored you shared it with me.” She grabbed for one of Nicole’s hands and pulled it in her lap, squeezing lightly. “I’m so, so sorry Nicole. I never would have guessed, you’re just so carefree.”

Nicole chuckled with a sniffle as she looked over. “You kind of learn what’s important when everything gets yanked away all at once. I decided I wanted to do my best to be happy.”

Waverly smiled because of course Nicole would choose positivity over anger, or bitterness, or sadness. 

She sat there for a moment in silence, running her thumb back and forth over the back of Nicole’s hand before she accidentally laughed to herself, unintentionally lightening the mood in the room and causing Nicole to raise an eyebrow in question.

“Sorry,” she said as she shook her head. “I was just SO sure you were a drug dealer.”

“Oh no, I haven’t dealt since high school,” Nicole said with a completely straight face as Waverly paused, trying to assess whether she was kidding.

Nicole stood up then, breaking away from Waverly’s grasp. “I really do have to go. I need to go see Roger again tonight.”

Waverly worried her lip between her teeth, trying to decide if she should ask before she lightly offered, “Can I come with you?”

There was hesitation on Nicole’s face as she thought for a moment. Waverly didn’t want to impose, but she didn’t want to see Nicole retreat just as she had started to open up to her.

“I don’t think that’s a great idea. He doesn’t like new people.” She laughed and then pointed up to her eye before adding, “Obviously,” as an afterthought.

Waverly chuckled and then asked, “Well, can I at least go get us dinner while you’re gone?”

“Yeah, that’d be nice.” Nicole said with a crooked smile as she grabbed her keys and headed towards the motel room door.

“Besides ketchup, what do you like to eat?” Waverly asked as she collected her things and followed Nicole.

“Surprise me.” Nicole offered as they walked out the door together.

“Sounds good. See you in a bit?” She asked hopefully as she walked towards the door of her rental.

“It’s a date.” She said with a smile as she climbed into her truck and departed.

_______

When Waverly arrived back to the darkened cabin 45 minutes later, she still had thoughts of Nicole on her mind. If she was being honest, she hadn’t stopped thinking of her since that first day when she had woken up from her nap and Nicole’s gorgeous slender form had come into focus in the next bed over. Since getting to know her, Nicole’s inner beauty had outshone her outer beauty, yet Waverly still found herself incredibly attracted to both. Learning about her tragic past had only made her like Nicole more as it was filled with a sudden loss, much like her own, yet she had done her best to persist with optimism and strength. Waverly’s heart ached to do what she could to comfort Nicole, obviously still working through her grief. She knew from her own experience that the only thing that truly lessened the pain of loss was time, but Waverly had decided on the drive back to the cabin that she was going to share with Nicole her past in the hope that her experience might help her heal.

As Waverly stepped into the room, she immediately sensed something off in the atmosphere. She slowly walked over to her bed to free her full hands. She slowly set the food and her things down and threw a quick glance around the room, ensuring that she was alone.

“Nicole?” Waverly asked the darkness quietly, already knowing the answer.

She then leaned forward, flipping on the lamp and spotted a paper sitting neatly folded on Nicole’s pillow. Picking it up and reading the four simple words on the page, Waverly felt her heart sink.    

> _I’m sorry. I can’t._

Walking back towards the door, Waverly felt the tears start to fall when she saw Nicole’s belongings were gone.


	5. Day Thirty-Four

To say that Nicole had left an impression on Waverly would be an understatement.

The last few days of her time in the Redwood’s had crawled by without Nicole. The scenery was just as beautiful, the wildflowers were still vibrant and lush, and the coastal view was still breathtaking, but everything about the trip felt a little more dreary and sluggish.  

Compounding to the despair Waverly felt not knowing where Nicole had gone, people in the small town were acting like it was her fault the popular woman had disappeared, and she honestly couldn’t blame them because she felt responsible herself.

Cheryl had also been treating her horribly, no doubt blaming her for Nicole’s sudden disappearance. She would serve Waverly last, drop her plates harsher than necessary, and forget her maple syrup when she brought out her short stack. When Waverly had chanced asking the blonde if she knew where Nicole had gone, she had scoffed and said, “I don’t know, you tell me. She came by two nights ago, looked over Roger and said he should be fine but if he wasn’t to call her friend in Arcata because she had to go.”

When Waverly was checking out at the end of her stay, Johnny had asked if she knew where Nicole had gone. She’d vaguely replied ‘away’ and trailed off, wanting to avoid explaining the situation. When she’d gone to hand him her credit card, he’d kindly told her that Nicole had come into the office a few days ago and insisted she wanted to cover Waverly’s portion of the room. After handing back the keys to the cabin, Waverly slowly shuffled back out to her car and broke down, crying for a whole ten whole minutes before she turned on the ignition and was able to drive away.

Nicole was now a constant thought in the back of her mind. She tried looing her up on every form of social media she could think of, but found no trace of Nicole. When she’d gotten home and emailed Johnny to see if he had Nicole’s email address or home address, he’d said that she didn’t leave him with one. Her last hope was that she would miraculously walk through the door to Shorty’s. She knew she had told Nicole where she worked when they’d talked in detail about Purgatory and Waverly’s job at Shorty’s. Now, every time the door chimed she’d look up hoping to see Nicole, who was still a constant presence in her mind. The process had become tiresome after a while, constantly being let down when Champ or Pete or Sherriff Nedley would walk in, but she’d quickly put away her frown and begin pouring them beer, still with a lingering hope in the back of her mind that one day it would be Nicole.

Life went on though, and Waverly took Nicole’s probing question to heart. She was constantly thinking about her dating options, trying to decide if she really was interested in women, whether it was just Nicole, or whether it was just a thing she’d done in college. She was fairly certain she’d enjoyed her time bedding those two women in college, but the intense alcohol consumption involved during both of those interactions had convoluted her memories. She’d thought long and hard about the experiences, racking her brain for specific memories but coming up empty so she’d decided to test for certain if her feelings for women were genuine.

Initially, Waverly had tried what she could to date a woman at home, but living in her remote town in Purgatory meant a finite source of dating options, both male and female. The only woman loving woman she could think of near her small town was her middle school gym teacher, Mrs. Peggy Johannsen, who was a lovely woman, although quite a bit older than Waverly’s 21-year-old self. The thing that scared Waverly most about pursuing Peggy was the fact that she was one of aunt Gus’s closest friends, having been over to her house to play gin rummy twice a month for the last decade. Peggy had watched her grow up, and she didn’t think it was a good idea to pursue anything with her.

That is how she found herself sitting alone on a Friday night at a table in the corner of a semi crowded gay bar in Calgary, sipping on a gin and tonic and debating how long she needed to stay before she could say she tried her best and bailed. She’d offered to drive down for Shorty to collect his biweekly purchases for the bar from his supplierand had decided to get a hotel room so she could have a drink and try to flirt with some women. So far her efforts had been unsuccessful. After scanning the room, she noticed most of the women were either dancing with men or coupled up with another woman. She’d eventually caught the eye of a woman with a pixie cut and flannel sitting alone in the opposite corner, but when she’d finally gotten the nerve to stand up and go talk to her, another woman had sat down and put her arm around her as Waverly had almost reached the table. Waverly had turned mid step and walked to the bar, ordering a second gin and tonic and hoped the action had been fluid enough to spare her any embarrassment from her failed attempt.

Shaking the close call from her memory, she picked up her second glass and took the last sip, placing it on the accompanying napkin before she moved to stand up and grab her coat. She froze in place when a beautiful woman, hair pulled up in a high pony and showcasing a breathtaking smile walked over to her holding two drinks.

“So I asked the bartender what you were drinking but she just shrugged, which was not helpful at all, thank you very much. But I figured a gin and tonic was a safe bet, so hopefully that’s alright.”

Waverly stared for a moment before she slowly placed her jacket back down and smiled.

“That’s exactly what I ordered, but I was just about to leave.” She said as she pointed awkwardly towards the door with her thumb.

The other woman chuckled and ducked her head, looking up bashfully. “Damn. Of course a gorgeous woman like yourself would be on her way out.”

Waverly felt a flutter in her stomach. She paused to appreciate at the woman. She was wearing a tight-fitting tank top that was tucked into a pair of high-waisted ripped skinny jeans, accompanied with a pair of black pumps that raised her at least five inches off of the ground.

Appreciating the fact that she was being flirted with without having to do any work herself, she sat back down and tried her best to sound casual as she said, “I could be persuaded to stay if a beautiful woman wanted to join me,” gesturing to the chair across from her own

“I mean, if you don’t mind I could probably help you find one.” The woman replied as she pulled out the chair and sat down, grinning brightly. “I’m Rosita, and you are…?”

“Waverly.” She felt her eyes crinkle at the corners, she knew she was grinning like a fool and couldn’t remember a time where she had been this nervous to flirt. If she thought hard, the last time was probably when Pete York had asked her out on her first date and took her to the ice cream shop where he bought her the fanciest ice cream on the menu. She was so enamored with him and was nervous the entire time but felt her hopes fall at the end of the date when he kissed her on the cheek and told her she was pretty ‘for an Earp.’

“Waverly. I don’t think I’ve heard that name before. I like it.” There was a pause before she continued. “So let’s see what we can do about finding you a beautiful woman.” She slid the gin and tonic towards her and took a sip of her own as she glanced around the room. Gesturing to a tall blonde woman chatting vibrantly in the corner, Rosita looked back. “She’s pretty.”

Waverly quickly glanced away from her new suitor to chance a look towards the blonde. “Yeah, she’s nice… but I think I’m more into brunette women.” Purposefully looking back, Waverly stared deeply into Rosita’s eyes. “It’s always a bonus when they bring me a drink.”

She blushed as she said, “Oh really? So tell me, Waverly. Besides being charming, what else do you do?”

_She’s pretty and smooth._

“I work in a bar back in my hometown.” Waverly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and grabbed for her drink to placate her nervous hands. 

“Where might that be?”

“It’s a little place called Purgatory. I’m sure you’ve never heard of it.” Waverly fiddled with her glass as she explained, “Which is okay, no one has because it’s in the middle of nowhere.”

“Of course I’ve heard of it.” Taking a slow sip, Rosita continued with cheekiness prevalent in her tone, “I’ve read The Divine Comedy.”

Feigning a laugh, Waverly felt her stomach flip when a foot began trailing its way up her leg. Proud of herself for having the senses to respond, she managed to choke out, “Ha. I’ve never heard that before. So what do you do, Rosita?”

“Oh, nothing exciting, I just work in healthcare.” She waved a hand dismissively and leaned forward. “So what brought you down this way then?”

As they launched into flirtatious conversation, Waverly was unsure if it was the alcohol coursing through her veins, the loud music of the room, or the pleasantness of the company, but she found herself growing bolder as the conversation and the night progressed. When Rosita had suggested they go somewhere, Waverly had practically leapt out of her seat and grabbed for her hand, grateful that she had found the move endearing.

_______ 

She awoke to light streaming in through the sheer hotel curtains and the sound of the old air conditioner and heater combo kicking on, blowing hot air into the room. Feeling a breeze, Waverly looked down to her bare chest and shivered as she pulled the thin white sheet up. She rubbed her eyes, and let the room come into focus before rolling over and smiling at Rosita lying next to her who was lying on her stomach with a hand under her cheek.

Rosita was truly gorgeous, sexy, and fun. Waverly felt a pang of guilt when she remembered stumbling through the hotel room door the night before, lip locked with Rosita but with a mind filled of thoughts about a certain redhead. The guilt gnawed a little deeper when she had trailed kisses down Waverly's stomach and Waverly caught herself wondering if Nicole was okay. She was grateful moments later, when she discovered that Rosita had exceptional skills that had quickly cleared her busy mind, allowing her to appreciate the moment at hand.

As Waverly stirred, stretching her muscles as she felt her tiredness wearing off, she heard a happy sigh from the woman lying next to her.

“Hey.” She shyly said as she looked over.

Rosita’s eyes fluttered open as she smiled bashfully. “Sorry…” Stretching, she shifted a little closer. “I didn’t realize I stayed. Hopefully you don’t mind.”

She was pleasantly surprised to find that she didn’t care. She’d purposely gone out hoping to have some fun and go home, but Rosita had provided an exciting night that had been incredibly enlightening and she now found that she wasn’t quite ready to her go.

“I don’t mind at all. Did you sleep well?” Waverly reached forward and tucked a strand of hair behind Rosita’s ear, leaving her palm on her cheek for a moment.

“Yeah. You definitely tired me out.” She wiggled her eyebrows in between a yawn. “What about you?”

“Same.” She appreciated the silence for a moment before she looked towards the dresser across the room and took in the time. “Dang. I promised my Uncle I’d be back in a few hours. I have an early afternoon shift.”

“Oh. Okay. I can go.” She sounded disappointed and moved to get up, exposing her lean curves.

Feeling a surge of confidence, Waverly ignored the blush she felt and reached for Rosita’s wrist. “Woah there tiger. I have a little time,” she said as she leaned forward and placed a lingering kiss on her lips.

“Oh really? Well, what do you want to do?”

She leaned forward, pushing Waverly onto her back as she settled in between her hips.

Waverly smiled, moving to kiss Rosita when her stomach betrayed her, rumbling loudly and interrupting the mood.

Rosita dropped her head and laughed into the base of Waverly’s neck before looking back up.

“How about I take you to breakfast instead?”

She grinned at the offer, appreciating the thoughtfulness of her new companion.

“I’d actually kind of love that.”

_______ 

Waverly found she’d chosen to have a one night stand with one of the most fascinating people she had ever met. Rosita had been humble the night before when she had said she worked in ‘medicine.’ They’d split an order of Dutch pancakes and took turns answering the basic first date get to know you questions. It was then that Waverly had learned her breakfast companion was actually a biochemical engineer at a startup pharmaceutical company in the outskirts of downtown Calgary. She’d grown up in San Diego, done her undergrad in biology at Notre Dame and her graduate degree at UCSF. She’d worked at a pharmaceutical company in San Francisco for two years before she was recruited by a former professor who was founding a new company up in Calgary.

The educational background of her date had been overwhelming, but when Waverly had tried to play off her degree from a small college in Calgary as inferior, Rosita had politely reprimanded her and asked all about her studies. When Waverly had passionately gone off on a tangent about the economic and political impact of Latin American small business owners, she profusely apologized for being a horrible date but felt a blush when a hand settled on top of hers and asked her to go on.

They’d also learned they shared a love of feminist literature, social activism, running, and llamas. The woman seemed too good to be true. Waverly now knew that she was an excellent conversationalist and a thoughtful date, with the added bonus of being great in bed.

Her time with Rosita had flown by and she was sad to see it coming to an end. She’d even texted Shorty and asked if she could switch him shifts so she could have a little longer, trying to bide as much time as possible, but she knew she really needed to go get Shorty’s supply order and get on the road in order to arrive on time to make her 3:00 pm shift.

“I really should get going,” Waverly said as she checked the time and looked up regretfully.

“Sorry I kept you so long. I bet you don’t ever want to see me again.” She bowed her head and looked up through her eyelashes, obviously asking a silent question.

Cocking her head to the side, Waverly coyly responded, “I wouldn’t say that.”

“Well then, maybe I should come visit you some time.” Rosita purposely leaned forward and folded her arms, temporarily distracting Waverly with her cleavage.

Shaking her head, she snapped herself out of her daze.

“You remember I live hours away, right?”

“I mean, I have been dying to explore more of Canada. Especially if it leads me to delightfully attractive women like yourself.” She took a long sip of water and waited for a response.

Waverly then grabbed for one of Rosita’s hands and played mindlessly with her fingers for a moment, pretending to stall before she casually responded, “Well who am I to stop you from that then?"


	6. Day Eighty-Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's some new tags. Please take note.

“Where are you?” Waverly whined, standing next to her tiny Christmas tree she had chopped down herself, as she peered out her curtains for the fifth time in the last twenty minutes.

She heard a chuckle from Rosita on the other end of the line. “I swear I’m almost there. I promise. The drive has been terrible. I don’t think the plows have been out.”

Waverly audibly gasped, throwing a hand over her mouth as she began to pace her small living room. “Why did you answer your phone then? You should be paying attention to the road.” 

“Because I like to live on the edge. You know that.” She tried her best to sound confident, but Waverly was quickly learning that her new friend, who she presumed to be her girlfriend but was too scared to actually confirm, was actually a very mellow woman. She preferred quiet nights at home drinking wine and watching the Travel Channel to outlandish adventures outside. Waverly found it endearing that the woman who so confidently walked up to her in the bar, and who was always so put together, even in the Snaps she sent while at work in her lab coat, actually preferred sweatpants and glasses. She was forced out of her daydream when she heard a car door slam shut and Rosita speak up, “Besides, I’m here.”

Squealing as she dropped the phone, Waverly ran to the front door of the homestead and threw it open, hurrying down the steps to help Rosita, duffel and purse slung over her shoulder, holding a box of pizza in one hand and a wrapped gift in the other.

Rosita stopped to peck Waverly on the lips before graciously thanking her for taking the pizza, which she had stopped in town to get before driving out to the homestead.

“Thanks for picking this up.” Waverly said, guiding them into the fire lit living room of the small wooden home.

“It’s not a problem at all, Waves. I drove right by there.” She set the gift down on the coffee table and went to go put down her duffel when it was grabbed by Waverly, who took it and began walking to the other room. “The dude working there was an ass, though.” She said a little louder as Waverly disappeared.

“Tattoos up his arms and hair greasier than a late-night cheeseburger from Snackashack?” She yelled as she walked back from her bedroom.

“Yeah, how’d you know?” Rosita patted the spot on the couch next to her as she looked up curiously.

“He’s my ex. He’s always like that.” Waverly waved a hand dismissively as she settled her feet across Rosita’s lap and leaned forward, wrapping her arms around her neck and smiled. “Was the drive awful?” She said with a peck to the lips.

“Not too terrible. I mean, I did slide off the road a few times but…” She tried her best to cover her exaggerated lie and keep a straight face, “but it was worth it just too see you.”

Waverly moved an arm, currently playing with her ponytail behind her head, and pinched her arm. “Stop it. Tell me the truth.”

She chuckled and moved one of her hands off of Waverly’s waist, placing it on the arm draped around her neck and squeezed lightly. “It wasn’t bad. I just had to go slow.”

“Good. I know how much of a hassle it is to come out here.”

Waverly felt bad. Rosita had offered to come up every weekend since they had met. Waverly’s bar shifts rarely gave her weekends off so she couldn’t make it down to see Rosita, who had a more traditional schedule. She did take comfort in the fact that she had hijacked supply runs from Shorty, making sure her trips to Calgary involved lunch, dinner, or a night together with the engineer.

“I don’t mind. You’re worth it.” Waverly’s heart fluttered at the sentiment. They hadn’t known each other long, but she really appreciated their time together. “Plus I get weekend’s off and you don’t so it just makes sense.”

Waverly smiled and leaned forward for another kiss.

“Do you want to open your present now?” Rosita asked when she pulled away.

“I would love that.” Jumping up, she hurried off towards her bedroom. “I’ll be right back. I just need to grab yours.” She yelled back to the awaiting woman.

As she grabbed the bag with a mixology cocktail book and bottle of premium vodka, she ran back in to exchange gifts, hoping the sentiment conveyed with her gift about their first meeting would be appreciated, but still generic enough not to put any pressure on their very new relationship.

_______

“What the fuck, baby girl?” She took a swig of the bottle of beer in her hand and smirked at the women who were currently naked in bed, Waverly on top, breasts pressed against Rosita’s. “If I would have known you were into chicks I would have brought you home Rosalina. She was a firecracker.”

“Fudgenuggets!!” Startled, Waverly reached for the covers, grateful they were already partially covered, and pulled them up a little higher as she rolled off of Rosita to look at her sister. “What are you doing here?”

“Um… I live here?” She said it was the easiest thing in the world before taking a drink and eyeing Rosita suspiciously.

Ignoring her sister’s answer, she asked the next question that popped into her mind. “And how did you get in? I locked the door.”

“Come on now, baby girl. I thought you were the smart one. Are you really asking that?” She took a long sip before she motioned to the women, “Now don’t stop on my account. I’m just going to go make some dinner. Waves, what do you have that I can heat up in the microwave?”

Waverly huffed as she tossed hair behind her shoulder. “We don’t have a microwave. Remember when you lit it on fire?”

“You haven’t replaced that yet?” She asked, mostly to herself before she sat on the edge of the bed and continued, “Damn. Well what the hell should I eat then?”

Rosita piped up, holding the sheet currently covering her chest up a little higher as she spoke. “I brought pizza. There’s leftovers in the fridge if you’d like.”

Wynonna smacked the bed, hitting Rosita’s hip as she stood up. “I think I like this one. Well, carry on ladies. Let me know if you need anything. Some snacks, a condom.” Wynonna laughed at her own joke as she closed the door.

Waverly dropped her head back against the headboard, closing her eyes for a moment, before she opened them and looked over into warm brown eyes. “Sorry to cut this short, but that’s my sister Wynonna. I haven’t seen her in over a year. Do you think I could maybe have a raincheck?”

Rosita laughed as she tossed the covers off of her body and moved to stand up and pull on her recently discarded clothing. “Not a problem. This seems like it’ll be fun.”

_______

“Done already?” Wynonna asked Waverly with a mouth full of cold pizza as she fiddled with the television remote. “If she’s that fast maybe you don’t wan—” She paused when she saw Rosita came out the bedroom door, walking up behind Waverly. She looked to the engineer and smiled before taking another pizza, effectively ending her sentence.

Waverly moved to sit on the couch next to her sister as Rosita sat in the armchair across the room.

“Nonna, seriously why are you here?” She asked with confusion in her eyes.

Wynonna chewed loudly for a moment before she responded, “We’ve been over this. I live here.”

“No you don’t. You live… well honestly, I have no idea where you live.” She rushed out the sentence as she continued, “But you haven’t lived here in years.”

“That’s not true, I was here a year ago.” She feigned offense before biting off another piece of pizza.

“For a week!” Waverly threw her hands in the air before dropping them loudly onto her thighs.

She loved her sister but her infrequent visits could be taxing emotionally, always hoping Wynonna would stay long term, being promised she’d stay, and being disappointed by waking up to an empty house.

Wynonna cocked her head upwards as she thought to herself. “Was that not the time I got the flu and got stuck here for a month and a half?”

Waverly chuckled. Of course her sister wouldn’t remember. “No that was three years ago.”

“Hmm. Weird. So what are you ladies up to…” There was a slight pause before she continued. “You know what? Never mind. Who are you by the way?” Wynonna asked pointedly to the woman sitting quietly in the corner.

Speaking up, Waverly offered, “Wy, this is my girlfriend Rosita.”

“Girlfriend?” Wynonna asked with a sly smile.

“Kinda…” Waverly responded with a little less confidence.

“Kinda?” Rosita asked, breaking her silence from the armchair in the corner.

Wynonna froze in place, eyes bouncing between the two women before she responded, gesturing with her beer bottle between them. “Looks like you two need to have a discussion.”

“No Nonna. We don’t. She’s my girlfriend.” She looked across the room and smiled at Rosita, mostly for confirmation that her statement was okay, who nodded happily in response.

“Is this the hottie you met in the Redwoods? Did you find her?” Wynonna paused as she sized Rosita up. Suddenly remembering, she stage whispered, clearly loud enough for the entire room to hear, “Oh you said she had red hair. Did she used to have red hair or did I just fuck this up?”

Waverly rolled her eyes at her sister. “No Nonna. That was Nicole. But thanks for paying such close attention to my emails.”

“Who’s Nicole?” Rosita asked, honing in on the conversation.

“Nobody.” Waverly waved a hand as she looked at her now official girlfriend.

Wynonna barked out a laugh. “Nobody? Your first ten emails after your trip were spent talking about her.”

Waverly shot her sister evil eyes before looking back over to Rosita apologetically. “Don’t listen to Wy. She hallucinates when she drinks.” She looked back to her sister with confusion as she said, “I can’t believe you read those. You never responded.”

“Of course I read them, Waves. I care about you… or whatever.” She looked away as she finished off the beer in her hand.

Waverly stood and walked to the fridge, pulling out three beers.

Handing one to Wynonna, she asked, “Why didn’t you respond then?” Before walking over to Rosita and offering one, who politely declined. She walked back to the fridge and placed the other woman’s drink back in before she opened her own and sat down on the couch, tucking a leg under her and draping an arm across the sofa to play with her sister’s shirt sleeve with her free hand.

“I’m not worth your time.” Wynonna said after a moment of silence before quickly standing up and adding, “Well. It’s been a long day. You ladies have a good night.” And with that, she headed in the direction of her old room.

Waverly sighed, rubbing at her eyes as her girlfriend stood and moved to sit next to her. The other woman placed an arm on her neck and rubbed lightly, hoping to soothe the now prevalent tension.

“So. Who’s this Nicole?” Her girlfriend asked after a minute, a jealous undercurrent to her tone that Waverly was not in the mood to address.

“No one. Just some random woman I met on my trip a few months ago.”

“What trip?”

Scrunching up her brow, Waverly tilted her head. “To the Redwoods. I told you about it, I think.” 

“No I don’t think you did.” Her tone edged a little closer to annoyance.

“Oh, well it’s not a huge deal.” Waverly trailed off. Something about Rosita’s probing questions was not sitting well with her. She wasn’t sure if it was the tone with how it was being asked, the person asking, or the fact that Waverly felt oddly protective of her time spent with the redhead that she still desperately missed. She wasn’t sure why Nicole had left such an impression on her, but she wished she could track her down, if only to find out she was okay.

The room was uncomfortably quiet for a moment before Waverly asked, “Hey, you want to go finish what we started earlier?" 

Rosita raised an eyebrow.

“Your sister?” She said as she pointed towards the hallway the elder Earp had walked down. 

“We can be quiet.” Waverly said as she laughed to herself. “But even if we can’t, it’ll be payback.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't hate me.


	7. Day One Hundred and Seventy-Six

“Baby girl, pour me another.” Wynonna slid her empty mug forward across the bar as she smiled deviously. 

“Sorry, Nonna. Talk to Shorty. I’m off for the day.” Waverly took her waist apron off, tossing it under the bar and walked around, leaning in to give her sister a kiss on the cheek before she moved to depart.

When her older sister had come home a little over three months ago for the holidays, Waverly had wholeheartedly expected her to disappear soon after. It was Wynonna’s usual mode of operation; she would appear and check in to make sure Waverly was okay, drink all of the liquor at the homestead, conquer a few townsfolk, and then set back off to god knows where. That all usually occurred within a two-week time frame, but when Wynonna hit the 30-day mark and she still hadn’t departed, Waverly had cornered her to clarify their current situation.

“When are you leaving?” Waverly had timidly asked over an order of takeout and an episode of Law and Order: SVU.

Wynonna had paused mid-bite and looked over with uncertainty. “Are you trying to kick me out?” 

“No. No. I just… want to be prepared.” She could hear the scared six-year-old in her voice, but she just couldn’t hide the apprehension she felt.

Wynonna set her Lo Mein down and reached for the remote, pausing Detective Benson in the middle of an interrogation. “I mean, I don’t want to commit, commit. But I’m kinda thinking about staying this time.”

“Are you serious?” She was trying her best to squash the excitement bubbling to the surface. They had done this before and she had been disappointed then too.

“I mean, yeah.” Wynonna had picked up her carton of noodles and stabbed absentmindedly with a chopstick, avoiding eye contact as she mumbled, “I even have an interview at Fisher’s Auto for a lube tech position on Monday.” 

“Lube tech?” Waverly asked, completely surprised.

She snorted a laugh, “I know, sounds totally dirty, right? It’s a dumb name, but something I know I can do. I didn’t tell you, but I actually learned some stuff out on the road. I met a dude in Greece a few years back who taught me all about cars and since then I’ve paid for my travels by helping out at random mechanic shops.”

The thought of her sister with a normal job was bewildering, but Wynonna had gone to that interview dressed in her finest black leather and had been hired before leaving the shop.

It all seemed to be a strange dream. Waverly still found herself apprehensive every morning she was up before her sister. She’d tiptoe towards Wynonna’s bedroom door and peek in to make sure she was still there, pleasantly surprised when she found her tucked in bed, still asleep. She had been forced to stop the habit the day she had gotten an eyeful of John Henry Holliday’s naked bottom, and had since just trusted that her sister was still there.

Startled back to the present, Waverly stopped when Wynonna grabbed her wrist lightly to stop her from departing. “I’m having John Henry over tonight. So… you know,” she said with a wink.

“Yes, I do know.” Waverly pulled out a stool and sat next to her sister, facing so that her knees were pressed against the older woman’s thigh. “Are you and that man dating?” 

Eyes wide, the Earp finished thanking Shorty for her new beer before she looked over. “What the hell, Waverly! How can you even say something like that?”

She leaned an elbow on the bar and spoke. “Well, for one, he’s over _every_ night. Two, he looks at you with a twinkle in his eye. And three, you don’t shut up about him.”

Waverly caught a blush on her sister’s cheeks as she stared at her beer before Wynonna turned and looked her in the eye, straight-faced as she coolly said, “We’re just having some fun.”

“Sure, sure. Well, it doesn’t matter.” She stood up and rubbed her sister’s shoulder. “Party it up tonight because I’m staying at Rosita’s anyway.”

She took a sip of her beer and then smirked. “Are you two bangin’ again?”

“No! God no. You know we broke up. She just wants me to meet some of her friends who are in town.”

“Baby girl, that’s weird. I know I wasn’t around to teach you much, but break ups mean you STOP seeing each other.”

“It is not weird. We agreed we’d make better friends. Plus, it’s nice. I don’t have any other queer friends and she doesn’t have anyone down in Calgary because she spent all of her time up here right after moving to Alberta.”

They had only ended up dating for a short time. After the initial excitement of a new relationship had worn off, Waverly had found she wasn’t a fan of long distance, especially when they differed so much personality-wise. The time spent apart had grown tiresome and she found that she craved someone with a slightly more adventurous spirit, as compared to Rosita’s perfect contentment with sitting at home every night and reading a book or watching a movie. Being confined to a relationship with someone who didn’t want to go out had become taxing. When she’d suggested they go snowshoeing, Rosita had reluctantly agreed and then complained about the activity for the duration of her time up in Purgatory. When Waverly had suggested tubing, Rosita had flat out refused, unwilling to listen to any part of her reasoning. When she had wanted to go axe throwing, Rosita had choked on her wine and laughed out loud. After a while, she had stopped asking and had just given in to the fact that time spent with Rosita would mean a night in. The problem was, all of her free time was spent with her girlfriend, which meant she couldn’t do any of the adventurous things she wanted to go out and try. 

Waverly silently wondered if her new love of adventure had anything to do with Nicole, whom she had met a little under six months ago and had inadvertently reminded her to appreciate life, but when she sat down and explained that long distance was not something she was looking for in a relationship, she had kept that piece of information to herself. Rosita had agreed that it didn’t make sense for them to continue dating and after a little time apart, they had begun texting again, cultivating a friendship not based on romance. Waverly really did like Rosita as a person so she continued her supply runs that she had taken over from Shorty, but slept on Rosita’s couch instead of her bed when she ended up staying the night. 

“But people aren’t generally friends with their exes.” Wynonna argued. “I mean, look at me. I have exes all over the world and I have no idea what the hell they are up to!” 

Waverly laughed to herself as she watched John Henry approach quietly from behind, finally speaking up. 

“What is it that you were saying about your previous suitors?” The tall man with a hearty mustache asked with a smirk.

Wynonna jumped in surprise before exclaiming sweetly, “Henry!” Spinning around and standing up, she was almost nose to nose with her lover. “I wasn’t expecting you.”

“My shift completed earlier than I had anticipated.” He looked to the clock on the wall and back to Wynonna with a kind smile. “I hope you do not mind.”

“Of course not.” She leaned forward and thumbed at the collar of his shirt. “Have I told you how sexy men of the law are… when they aren’t arresting me?” 

“Well, that’s my cue.” Waverly said, wanting to get away from the couple. “Don’t burn the homestead down, Nonna.” She walked passed John Henry and smiled kindly.

He tipped his cap and offered a, “Take care, Miss Waverly.”

_______

Waverly pulled into the parking space of Rosita’s apartment and grabbed for her backpack from the backseat. She had packed an overnight bag, as she knew she wouldn’t make it down to Calgary until late, and even though spring was blooming in Alberta, she didn’t want to chance driving home late on icy roads. With Rosita’s friends also staying at the apartment, she had thrown her camping mat into the backseat as well, knowing that the couch would be taken and not wanting to bunk with her ex. Tucking the mat under her arm after putting on the backpack, she grabbed her purse and slid out of her jeep, slamming the door and heading towards Rosita’s apartment.

She didn’t know much about the people she had driven down to meet. She knew Rosita had been friends with them since college, having met the pair in her freshman biology course at Notre Dame. They’d gone through the whole biology program at school together, even having won some competitions as a team for something science-y that Waverly had tried her best to understand. It was adorably nerdy, but Rosita was passionate about the project, as well as her friends, so she was excited to meet the people who evoked such adoration from the usually meek woman. Waverly was pretty sure she remembered their names were Annie and Jeremy, but was having trouble remembering if they were a couple or not, as Rosita constantly referred to them as a pair.

As Waverly walked up the stairs to the second floor of the complex, she found herself lost in her own thoughts. She really did care for Rosita; they had had fun, but it hadn’t been a relationship Waverly could see working long term. She was grateful Rosita had helped her confirm her sexuality, and even more grateful that her sister was okay with the fact that she was bisexual. Knowing she could be in a relationship with a woman had been an answer to a question that had bothered her ever since she had returned from her trip to the Redwoods.

Waverly had also been surprised when, over breakfast at a diner in town, Wynonna had divulged her secret trysts with women throughout her travels. It wasn’t until the older Earp had caught her and Rosita in a compromising situation that she had been comfortable enough to open up to Waverly about her own sexuality. Waverly credited Rosita with so many wonderful things and was grateful that Rosita was still in her life.

As she approached Rosita’s door, she heard giggling from the other side, eliciting a smile. Knocking, she heard the laughter cease and an, “I’ll get it,” was said as someone began shuffling towards the door. There was the click of the lock and the brightness from the light inside temporarily blinded her before she focused on the tall figure standing before her, heart stopping when her eyes met the familiar happy gaze of a certain redhead she hadn’t seen in six months.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lol super happy I decided against adding another chapter of the Rosita/Waverly relationship. But this is why I introduced Rosita…. So hopefully you can forgive me and haven’t given up on this story yet. There’s still more.
> 
> And thanks for all of your lovely comments. It's sometimes scary posting stuff you create, and your nice comments and kudos make it all worthwhile.


	8. Day One Hundred and Seventy-Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Awkwardness ensues

Last night had been one terrible, uncomfortable ordeal. Laying on the floor in the corner of the small apartment living room, five feet away from the sleeping figures sharing the pull-out sofa next to her, she was struggling to sleep and couldn’t help but replay the tense experience of the last few hours on repeat.

“Well isn’t this a pleasant surprise.” Nicole coolly said, leaning on the edge of the front door with a radiant smile on her face.

Trying to decide if she was actually seeing Nicole or if she was simply hallucinating, Waverly blinked a few times and opened her mouth to speak but found she was at a loss for words.

Investigating the delay, Rosita impatiently walked up behind Nicole, placing an arm on her shoulder as she smiled.

“Waves? Why are you just standing there staring at Annie? Come in!” She said as she gestured for her to step into the room.

“Uh… sorry.” She shuffled forward and moved out of the way, allowing Nicole to shut the door behind her before she walked to the corner of the room and dumped her belongings. Turning back around, she stared unbelievingly, jaw agape, at the beautiful woman she had missed for months.

“Waves? Are you sick?” Rosita asked, stepping forward and reaching to feel her forehead with the back of her hand. “You look pale. Let me get you some water.”

She turned around and walked the short distance to her attached kitchen to grab a glass from her cupboard as Waverly shifted her gaze back to Nicole.

“Sorry.” Waverly shook her head slightly and walked closer to the beaming redhead, shoving out her hand awkwardly for a handshake. “Annie, is it?”

Nicole’s smile showcased her dimples as she ignored the hand and enveloped Waverly in a warm hug, responding as she pulled away, “Annie’s the name these a-holes call me. I’m still the Nicole you slept with in the forest.”

She winked as she finished talking and Waverly felt herself lost in Nicole’s honey brown eyes for just a second until she heard a loud crash as Rosita dropped the full glass of water on the wood surface below, shattering the object and sending water and shards flying across the kitchen floor. Both women’s heads snapped from the trance they had been in, enamored with each other, as they focused on the noise. Jeremy, who had been sitting on the couch petting Rosita’s Shih Tzu named Virus, jumped up from his seat, sending the dog tumbling off of his lap and across the couch.

Time suspended for a moment and silence filled the room until Waverly whipped into action, pushing by the tall redhead and moving into the kitchen to help the stunned woman, whose eyes kept bouncing back and forth between the reunited pair.

“We didn’t sleep together, Nicole!” Waverly called back to her, wanting to clear the air and soothe Rosita’s shock as she crouched down to mop up the spilled water and pick up large chunks of glass.

“I mean, we kind of did.” Nicole mumbled loud enough for Waverly to hear as she moved forward and looked at her startled friend. “Where’s your broom?”

With Rosita still unmoving, Nicole looked down to Waverly in question, who pointed to the closet a few feet away. Nicole moved forward, opening the door and grabbing a broom.

Finally, Jeremy piped up from his place in front of the couch where he stood holding Virus, who still looked quite upset about being so carelessly discarded in the chaos.

“Um… What’s going on?”

Finally, Rosita snapped out of her trance and focused on Nicole. “You slept with my ex?”

“Waverly’s your ex?” Nicole said startled as she pulled her head back quickly.

“We didn’t sleep together!” Waverly yelled as she tossed the last big shard in the garbage and stood up, throwing her hands on her hips. “Stop saying that.”

“Why am I the only one that doesn’t know Waverly?” Jeremy moved the Shih Tzu under his arm and walked forward, politely extending his free hand, “I’m Jeremy Chetri… and from what I just gathered from Rosie, you’re her ex-girlfriend?”

Waverly shook his hand as she offered her Purgatory famous smile. “Sorry, this is so not how I thought this night would go. I’m Waverly Earp. Rosita’s former girlfriend and current friend. I thought she would’ve told you guys I was coming… but apparently not?” She looked over to Rosita, standing against the counter with her arms crossed, surveying the room.

“Sorry, Waves. They just got in an hour ago and we’ve been busy catching up.” Rosita murmured.

Waverly walked over to her, placing a hand on her back and lightly rubbed circles, hoping to calm Rosita, who seemed utterly displeased. She was beginning to regret agreeing to be Rosita’s buffer for her reunion with her college friends.

There was a pause, everyone unsure how to proceed before Nicole spoke up.

“Why don’t we all go sit in the living room and talk? Maybe clear the air?” She offered with her kind smile, reminding Waverly how much she had missed that grin.

Everyone moved into the living room, the three college friends shuffling onto the couch, Waverly taking the armchair in the corner. She watched for a moment as the three settled, deciding she was going to speak up first.

“So, let me start. I met Nic? Annie? Nicole?” She looked into Rosita’s eyes, hoping for confirmation on what exactly she was supposed to call Nicole, but Rosita had become oddly focused on her fingers resting in her lap. Waverly looked over to Nicole who nodded before she continued, “Nicole when I went to the Redwoods last September. I came home and dated Rosita for a while but we haven’t been together in two months.”

Rosita looked up and tilted her head. “She was the woman you met in the Redwoods?”

Waverly nodded and Rosita continued.

“Did you guys…” She paused and looked to Nicole, “Sleep together?”

“Not really.” Waverly rushed out before Nicole could chime in. “I did end up in her bed one morning, but  _nothing_  happened.”

Nicole’s face fell and she looked down, reaching towards the coffee table for a phone.

“When did you get a phone?” Waverly asked her. “Johnny said you didn’t have one.”

“About two months ago. Jeremy got tired of not being able to reach me when I was at work.”

“Ooooh. This is Waverly!” Jeremy exclaimed, realization dawning on his face as he caught up to the conversation. “The one you wouldn’t stop talking about?” He looked over at Nicole who gave him a death stare before he leaned back and mumbled to himself, “Shut up, Jeremy.”

“And just to clarify, is she the woman Jeremy said you were coming up here for?” Rosita said as she leaned forward and looked around Jeremy to Nicole.

Nicole looked over and nodded.

“Well, that makes sense. Why were you in the Redwoods for so long? Waves said you basically lived there.” Rosita probed.

Nicole looked back at Waverly with a puzzled expression. “You didn’t tell her?”

“It’s not my story to tell.” Waverly said with a caring tone, as she could tell it was still a sensitive issue for Nicole. “Why didn’t you tell her?”

“I haven’t talked to Rosie in years. I just barely told Jeremy here last month.” She pointed to Jeremy, currently sitting next to her with her thumb, who was still holding the dog and looking like he would rather be anywhere else.  

“What didn’t you tell me?” Rosita asked again, annoyance in her voice.

“I’ll tell you later.” Nicole said quickly, obviously not wanting to address the matter.

Wanting to help shift the conversation, Waverly asked, “Why do they call you Annie?”

Rosita spoke up again. “Because she showed up to the biology club Halloween mixer as Little Orphan Annie. Perm and all.” Waverly barked out a laugh but abruptly stopped when Rosita stood up and pointed to her bedroom. “I don’t feel well, I think I’m going to turn in early. Sorry to cut this short, guys. Feel free to make yourself at home.”

She walked out but came back holding a set of sheets, which she deposited onto the couch without saying another word.

The group sat in silence for a moment before Waverly went to stand. “Maybe I should go…”

Nicole jumped up and reached for her arm, dropping her hand to the side before she made contact.

“No, we need to talk. But not tonight, maybe? It’s late and we’ve been driving for ages and I’m exhausted.”

Jeremy sat there, petting Virus as he tried to pretend like he wasn’t listening to every word being spoken.

“Okay.” Waverly conceded as she walked over to the pile of her belongings, reaching for her camping mat before she looked up and remembered she still needed to go into Rosita’s bedroom to get a blanket and pillow.

She figured her internal debate must have carried over to her facial expressions because Nicole stepped forward and asked, “Is something wrong?”

“I don’t have any blankets or a pillow.”

She pointed to Rosita’s closed door and looked back at Nicole who nodded in understanding and grabbed her keys.

“No worries, I have some out in my truck. I’ll be right back.”

While she was away, Jeremy and Waverly made quick work of setting up the hide-a-bed. They had just gotten the sheets placed on the mattress when Nicole walked back through the door with a pile of blankets and pillows. They finished setting up their beds for the night before they each took turns in the bathroom getting ready for bed.

“Do you want the couch? Jeremy’s a big proponent of the pillow wall so he won’t make a move.” Nicole kindly offered as Jeremy was walking out of the bathroom.

“Plus I am not into ladies, so that also helps.” He laughed as he slid into his side of the hide-a-bed.

“No, I’m fine down here. Thanks though.” She laid down on the mat and covered herself with the blanket Nicole had brought in and was immediately hit with her warm scent. As she rolled over trying to find a comfortable position on the hard wood floor she wondered how someone could smell so much like vanilla dipped donuts.

After finally finding a comfortable spot, Waverly then spent the majority of her night tossing and turning, uncomfortable from the awkward interaction. Her mind kept racing with excitement over seeing Nicole again, stressing about Rosita’s weird energy over the matter, and annoyed whenever Virus would walk over and lick her face.

Sleep evaded her for the majority of the night, and she cursed her current predicament with her eyes wide open and a Shih Tzu snoring loudly next to her face. She kept dividing her attention between Nicole, currently sharing the pull-out sofa with Jeremy, making sure she hadn’t fled in the night, and Rosita’s door, wondering if she should go in and check on her.

Nicole began to stir on the sofa bed above and Waverly quickly closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep when she heard Nicole whisper, “I know you’ve been watching me.”

Her eyes shot open fully and narrowed immediately.

“I have not!”

There was a soft chuckle as Nicole slowly sat up, checking to make sure the movement hadn’t woken Jeremy. As she clutched the edge of the bed, stretching out her back, she yawned and looked around the room for a clock.

“What time is it?”

Waverly fumbled for her phone above her head, squinting when the brightness of the screen illuminated the darkened room.

“It’s 4:15.”

“Hm… well since I’m not sleeping and you’re obviously not either,” Waverly opened her mouth to protest but was cut off when Nicole added, “Which I wouldn’t know  _for certain_  because you haven’t been watching me at all…” She winked and then finished, “Do you want to go get something to eat so we can talk?”

Waverly rolled her eyes as she slowly sat up. “It’s 4:00 in the morning, Nicole. The only places open right now are McDonald’s and Tim Horton’s.”

“Perfect, Tim Horton’s was on my list of things to try.” She smiled, taking Waverly’s breath away for a moment before standing up, exposing her long bare legs, barely covered by a pink pair of boxers with small flamingo print.

Waverly watched as Nicole made a show of walking over to her bag and dropping the boxers, exposing her small pair of cotton briefs. She bent over and Waverly looked down as she felt her cheeks redden, suddenly becoming very fascinated with the blanket in her lap.

“Are you coming, creeper?” Nicole asked with a smirk, causing Waverly to jump into action, quickly standing up, startling Virus in the process who huffed and jumped onto the bed, curling into the warm space left by Nicole’s absence.

Waverly dropped the bottoms of her unicorn pajamas, taking pride in the blush that formed on Nicole’s cheeks as she wiggled back into her skinny jeans. She turned away from Nicole and unbuttoned her top, exposing her small but yoga chiseled back as she pulled on her high school cheer sweatshirt.

Turning around, she coyly said “Ready?” and laughed to herself when Nicole didn’t respond.

She walked to the door, opening it and letting the cold air hit Nicole, who promptly stepped forward and motioned for Waverly to go first, allowing her to step out into the cool spring air before Nicole followed suit, placing a hand on the small of Waverly’s back as they made their way down the stairs towards Nicole’s truck.

_______

“So, I want to say thank you for not telling anyone my story.”

They had ridden to Tim Horton’s in silence, humming along to the radio in the cab of Nicole’s Tundra. After going through the drive thru, they pulled over into a Safeway parking lot and were currently facing each other; one leg tucked under their bodies as they split donuts and drank their coffees.

“I would never.” Waverly said as she placed her donut on the lid of her coffee and wiped her hand on a napkin. She leaned forward and rested her hand on Nicole’s knee as she continued, “I could tell how hard it was for you to share that.”

“I appreciate it. It’s a difficult— I’m not—It took me like four months to tell Jeremy.” She finished after struggling for words.

Waverly paused before asking, “How come you didn’t tell Rosita?”

“I haven’t actually talked to Rosie in years... Probably not since we left Notre Dame. Jeremy arranged this trip for us. I told him I needed to come up this way and he mentioned that she was up here now and wanted to visit her. We drove up together and then he was going to fly back to Colorado on Tuesday.” She hesitated before quietly adding, “I was going to head up to Purgatory after.”

Waverly, looking down at her hand on the other woman’s knee, timidly smiled as she asked, “You were coming to see me?”

Nicole looked out the window, letting silence fill the cab of the truck before looking back, eyes glistening with unshed tears. “I… I wanted to apologize. For leaving. That was a really shitty thing to do.”

Waverly moved her hand to grab Nicole’s and squeezed, not letting go.

“I was so worried about you.”

“I hadn’t let anyone in. And then when I did, I panicked.” A tear fell before she chuckled and added, “Obviously.”

Waverly used her free hand to wipe away the tear. “I’m glad you are okay. You look better than when I saw you last, and you looked  _amazing_  back then.” Her eyes widened; now was not the time to flirt. She quickly released Nicole’s hand and moved her own back to her lap awkwardly. “Where’ve you been? I searched for you, you know?”

“I stowed my truck and flew out to Maui for a while. I only lasted out there for about a month before I got lonely and called Jeremy to ask if I could stay with him. He lives in Grand Junction so I’m still close enough to the outdoors that I’m not cooped up.”

Waverly picked her coffee up and took as long sip as she asked, “You’ve been in Grand Junction for 5 months? That’s a long time.”

“Yeah, it’s been nice. I even did an internship out there.”

Waverly’s heart soared; Nicole was beginning to live her life again. With a bright grin, she grabbed for Nicole’s hand again, drawing it into her lap this time.

“You did! That’s amazing! So are you practicing now?”

She shook her head. “No. I haven’t really found the right clinic for me yet.”

“That’s understandable.”

Waverly didn’t know how to proceed so she just appreciated the silence of the dark, quiet morning in Calgary.

After looking at the time, Nicole softly spoke up.

“We should probably head back. Jeremy’s always up at 5:20. It’s oddly specific, but it’s like clockwork.”

Waverly sighed, sad their time was ending. She released Nicole’s hand once more, expecting her to shift forward and begin their drive back. Instead, she sat there, staring into Waverly’s eyes for a moment. Nicole opened her mouth to speak, but closed it promptly and turned her body, taking her hand and placing it on the gear selector.

_______

They snuck back in at 5:10 and had to stifle a chuckle at the sight before them. Jeremy was asleep on his stomach; Virus camped out across his legs, front paws resting on his behind. After tiptoeing across the wood flooring, they both slipped back into their beds, closing their eyes and trying to get a few more minutes of rest before they began their day.

Waverly took advantage of the silence, thinking about Nicole lying a few feet away from her. She had spent the last six months worried about her, more so than anyone should for someone they had known for less than 96 hours. Something about being around her made Waverly feel whole, as if her world made a little more sense when she had Nicole in her sight. There was a spark whenever she was near her. Waverly wasn’t even aware of its existence until Nicole had left, she thought the dimmed sensation around her was a byproduct of the shock of her disappearance, but being back with her now, that spark had returned.

She wasn’t completely sure that Nicole felt the same way, but she got the impression from the other woman’s actions that the feeling was mutual. Nicole had planned a trip specifically to see her, only being derailed when Jeremy had wanted to visit Rosita. She had seized every opportunity to flirt with her, drawing nearer whenever possible, and winking way more than anyone ever should. And most importantly, she allowed herself a vulnerability around Waverly that she did not offer to others.  Lying on the hard floor, Waverly resolved that she couldn’t let Nicole get away this time, not without trying.

She looked over, wanting to steal one final glance at Nicole before closing her eyes to try and catch a few more minutes of sleep, and was met with the piercing gaze and dimpled smile that sent her heart aflutter.

_______

“Where’d you guys go this morning?”

Waverly almost spit out her coffee as she processed what Rosita had just asked. The tension throughout the morning had been palpable. When Rosita had finally emerged from her bedroom, completely dressed and ready for the day, she had pretended nothing was bothering her, offering disarming smiles and fake laughter. Now, with Jeremy in the bathroom getting ready, the three women were sitting at the dinner table, Waverly next to Nicole who sat directly across from Rosita. They had casually been sipping coffee and waiting for Jeremy to finish so they could head to breakfast when Rosita had taken advantage of the lull in conversation to ask the question that had apparently been bothering her all morning.

Waverly went to open her mouth to respond when she felt a hand on her thigh, squeezing and releasing before she heard Nicole speak up after picking her mug up with both hands and sipping slowly. 

“I couldn’t sleep and I accidentally woke Waverly up when I got up so she offered to show me what all the fuss is over Tim Horton’s. I can say, I feel much more Canadian now that I’ve tried it.”

Rosita smiled and sipped her coffee, saying nothing in response.

Waverly was torn between desperately wanting to get out of this situation and desperately wanting to get closer to Nicole, sitting in the seat next to her. She was sure that if her aunt Gus wouldn’t have walked into her bedroom that one time in 11th grade when her and Champ Hardy were a little past 4th base, she would consider this the most awkward moment of her life.

Nicole was apparently not so willing to ignore Rosita’s surly attitude. As she set her mug back down, she leaned back and placed an arm around Waverly’s chair, calmly asking, “Do you have a problem with the fact that I met Waverly before you?”

Waverly tensed at the expression that flashed across Rosita’s face; sure she was going to explode. It wasn’t until she felt Nicole lean a little closer to her that Waverly relaxed her posture, trusting the that she knew what she was doing.

After a moment, Rosita’s face adapted a neutral appearance and she calmly responded, “No. Why would you think that?”

Nicole finished her sip and looked up, unblinking as she said, “Because you’re kind of being an asshole.”

Waverly went rigid, sure Nicole was just trying to provoke a bear attack now. Jeremy, who had just walked out of the bathroom, froze in place and then slowly started backing up, retreating into the bathroom and shutting the door behind him.

Waverly opened her mouth, wanting to defend her ex-girlfriend, but quickly closed it when she couldn’t think of anything that would excuse Rosita’s poor behavior.

“Excuse me?” Rosita asked through pursed lips.

“Well, you went to bed early claiming you were ‘sick.’” Waverly felt the arm behind her lift to make an air quote before it dropped down to its place on the back of her chair. “You’re walking around stiffer than Boris Karloff in Frankenstein, you’re asking thinly veiled questions about what we were up to last night but not responding when we answer you. Meanwhile, Waverly is sitting next to me more tense than a sinner in church.”

She removed her hand from the back of Waverly’s chair, threading her fingers together and leaned forward, elbows on the table as she continued.

“Nothing has happened between the two of us and we have done nothing but walk on eggshells since Waverly got here last night. If I would have known you were going to be like this I would have just gone directly up to see her like I intended when I planned this trip.”

There was a deafening silence. No one dared move as the three women sat completely still and waited for someone to speak up.

Finally, a loud sneeze from the bathroom, followed shortly by a “dang it” broke the silence, evoking laughter from the women at the table. Jeremy tentatively opened the door, peeking his head out when he realized the drama had lessened.

The rest of the morning was less strained. Although Waverly noted that Rosita never actually acknowledged her behavior or apologized for it, she was grateful the tense air had dimished.

_______

She decided to seize the moment, turning towards Nicole as Jeremy and Rosita were arguing about which movie to go see this afternoon. Waverly was a few minutes away from hitting the road as she’d promised Shorty she would be back in time for the closing shift tonight. He had texted her this morning and offered to cover it for her, but it had been when the tension was at a peak, and no matter how excited she was to be with Nicole again, she was more excited to separate herself from Rosita’s attitude, so she had reluctantly declined. After the morning had calmed down, Waverly debated texting him back to ask if the offer was still available, but ultimately decided to head back and let the three friends bond without her.

Leaning into Nicole while the pair in the kitchen were distracted she quietly asked, “Um… Nicole?”

Nicole turned her body, uncrossing her arms from her observational stance she had been in as she smiled in acknowledgement.

Waverly leaned in, quickly slipping her fingers in the front pocket of Nicole’s jacket and dropped the small folded up piece of paper she had written when she had thrown her bags in her Jeep. Brushing her lips against Nicole's ear, she stood on the tips of her toes to whisper, “Please come see me when you’re done here. I want to give you that tour of Banff I owe you.”

She pulled away, not waiting for any sort of response from the tall woman before walking over to Jeremy, enveloping him in a hug and saying how great it was to meet him and then moved on to Rosita, kissing her cheek and thanking her for the invite.

She turned, grabbing for her purse and walked out the door, not sparing Nicole another glance as she left.

_______

She was two-thirds of the way done with her closing shift with the clock steadily approaching 11:30 pm when she stole a peek at her phone, checking to see if John Henry would be staying over tonight. She was midway through responding to her sister when her heart skipped a beat as a text from an unknown number appeared on her screen. 

> _586 610-4624; 11:31 pm: Can I come see you on Wednesday?_

She felt her heart flip when three little dots immediately appeared. 

> _586 610-4624; 11:31 pm: It’s Nicole... I just realized I didn’t say that._

She laughed out loud at the Nicole's adorableness before quickly typing a reply.

> _Waverly; 11:32 pm: I would REALLY like that._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for any mistakes. I don't have a beta (any volunteers?) and I read through this beast of a chapter five times, so after a while everything kind of blurred together.
> 
> The awkwardness was fun to write tho, so hopefully it was fun to read. 
> 
> Anywho, probs no update for a bit. School and work are being compounded by birthday stuff this week, so I'm thinking it'll probably be next week before I update again.


	9. Day One Hundred and Eighty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trip to Purgatory

> _Nicole; 11:58 pm: I’m excited to see you again._

Waverly reread the message she had woken up to for the fifth time. As she tossed the phone back on the bed and walked into the bathroom to blow-dry her hair, she thought of their conversations over the last few days.

Nicole had periodically checked in, texting what they were up to and telling her that Rosita was back to her usual self. Waverly had asked if she had mentioned her rude behavior but Nicole has said they had avoided the topic. She had debated asking Rosita herself, but thought a little distance for the time being would be best.

She was excited to see Nicole again. There was an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach every time she thought of reuniting with her, but she equated that to the time she tried out for cheer, or gave her Valedictorian speech, or moved away for college. It was the good kind of uneasy that meant something important was going to happen.

It wasn’t the feeling she felt when she woke up one morning to her dad telling her that her mom had left and taken Willa with her, or that time she had gotten home from school to her aunt and uncle waiting for her as Wynonna sat crying quietly in the corner. Or the first time Wynonna left to travel the world when Waverly was in 8th grade. This was definitely not one of those feelings, the uneasy feelings that inevitably left her feeling hollow and alone. Kind of like the time Nicole took off without a trace six months ago. That was the uneasy feeling Waverly was worried she would end up feeling.

Walking back into her bedroom and sitting on the bed, she picked up the phone, finally with the intention to respond. Her nerves had kept her from doing so for the last hour, but if she waited any longer, it’d just seem rude. As she began to type out what to say she wrestled with her thoughts and how open she was going to be.

‘ _I can’t even tell you how excited I am.’_

_Nope too much._

She deleted the text and started again, going with the first thing on her mind.

‘ _I think you’re so pretty and I like you so much.’_

_Definitely too much. True though._

Hitting the backspace button again, Waverly dropped her phone to her side and threw her body back against the old mattress. Looking up at the ceiling she sighed, frustrated. 

_Come on Waverly, you aced your postcolonial literature and theory final in college while battling the stomach flu of 2016, you can do this._

Sitting up, she typed quickly and hit send before she could rethink her decision.

> _Waverly; 7:58 am: Me too. When will you be in? And do you need a place to stay?_

The second she reread her words she immediately worried that she was being too forward. 

> _Waverly; 7:59 am: I have a great guest bedroom._

Waverly sent the follow up text as fast as she could and felt her stomach lurch when three dots immediately appeared on the screen.

> _Nicole; 8:00 am: Do you mind? I don’t want to put you out._
> 
> _Nicole; 8:01 am: And I was thinking about just getting on the road when I drop Jeremy off at the airport a little after noon… So maybe 4:00?_
> 
> _Waverly; 8:02 am: That sounds great. And you wouldn’t be putting out at all, I’d be happy to have you here._
> 
> _Nicole; 8:03 am: No putting out, huh?_

It took Waverly a moment to realize her blunder, but when she did her eyebrows shot up to the top of her hairline.

> _Waverly; 8:03 am: FUCK_
> 
> _Nicole; 8:04 am: You just said you weren’t going to do that_
> 
> _Waverly; 8:04 am: I’m not talking to you anymore_  
> 
> _Nicole; 8:05 am: Yes you are_
> 
> _Waverly; 8:06 am: You’re not wrong_
> 
> _Nicole; 8:09 am: I’ll see you in a bit? Text me your address please_

Waverly smiled brightly as she typed out her home address before setting her phone down and standing up to head to the kitchen for breakfast. It wasn’t until she was pouring herself a cup of coffee that she began to panic when she remembered she didn’t even have a guest bedroom.

____

“Hey, Nonna. Are you going to be home tonight?” Waverly asked tentatively while pouring herself a cup of coffee.

After assessing her current predicament, she decided to scheme her way into creating a guest bedroom for Nicole.

Wynonna, currently sitting with her feet crossed on the table while eating a piece of toast, looked up from behind her phone. “I don’t know.” She groaned when Waverly pushed her feet off the table as she sat down. “Why?”

“No reason.” Waverly trailed off while looking down into the old ceramic mug she was holding with both hands.

“You’re being weird.” Wynonna said as she leaned forward, interlocking her fingers and placing her elbows on the table after setting her phone down.

“I am not.”

Waverly refused to look up, choosing instead to study the almond milk that had not yet fully mixed with her coffee swirling around.

“Why won’t you tell me what you’re doing today, then?” Her eyes narrowed suspiciously as she struggled to maintain a serious expression, a smirk forming at the corner of her mouth.

“You didn’t ask!” Waverly tensely slammed her mug down as she loudly responded. She shook her head silently as she relaxed her shoulders and tried to smile.

Wynonna, stunned and wide eyed, stared for a moment before bursting out into laughter. “Point proven. You’re being weird.”

“Fine.” Exasperated, Waverly huffed out air, moving a few stray hairs out of her eyes. “Can you please be nice to me for once in my life?

Wynonna threw her hand over her heart, feigning hurt. “Nice. Nice? I am always nice.”

“Yes, but like normal people nice. Not like Wynonna nice."

“Okay, first of all, I am normal. And second of all, why are you being weird?”

“A friend is going to stay over tonight and I need you to not be here. Can you stay with Doc tonight?”

Waverly stared at the wood on the old table for a moment, worried about the look she was positive she was getting. Wynonna had never been around for any guest of Waverly’s, whether platonic or otherwise, and she was surely the type of person that would seize the opportunity to play big sister now. Looking up, she had her suspicions confirmed as she was met with the biggest shit eating grin she had ever seen on Wynonna’s face.

“A frienndddd?” Wynonna drawled, never losing her smirk.

Waverly threw her hands over her eyes and rubbed. “I should not have told you. Forget I said anything.” She stood up and walked over to the cabinets, grabbing for a travel mug and pouring her coffee into it. “I have to go.”

“You do not. We both know you have the day off. Come here.” Wynonna tapped the chair that Waverly had recently vacated. She still had remnants of her smug smile as she spoke, but she looked like she was trying desperately to tone it down a notch.

As Waverly eyed her sister suspiciously, she slowly moved closer to the chair. “You’re being Wynonna nice again.”

She threw her hands in the air and tried to look apologetic, looking oddly like a pouting puppy. “Sorry. I know what you’re talking about and I promise I’ll try and work on it. Don’t hold me to anything though.” She took a sip of her coffee before she spoke again. “I will make myself scarce tonight.”

Waverly sat down and narrowed her eyes as she asked, “Are you sure? You don’t want to mock me for another ten years first?”

“Hey. I just apologized asshole.”

“Sorry, sorry. That was unfair.” It was Waverly’s turn to throw her hands in the air apologetically. She took a long drink from her travel mug before she added, “Thank you for letting me have the house tonight, I promise I’ll make it up to you.”

“Not a problem, baby girl.” Wynonna stood, placing a quick kiss on Waverly’s forehead before heading to the coat rack, grabbing her leather jacket. “Listen, I gotta get to work. I’ll run home on lunch and grab a few things. That cool?” She asked as she opened the front door.

“Not a problem, Nonna. Thanks again!” She stood up and looked around the messy kitchen before glancing at the clock. She had a little over seven hours to finish getting ready, clean the homestead, go get groceries, stop by the liquor store, and work on containing her excitement before Nicole would be here.

____

Waverly laughed as she read the messages that had just come through on her phone.

> _Nicole; 4:06 pm: I’m five mins out_
> 
> _Nicole; 4:06 pm: ...I think. Do you live in the middle of nowhere? Because if not, I am in trouble_
> 
> _Waverly; 4:08 pm: Yup, that sounds about right. Just keep going until you see the Earp homestead sign_

She set her phone down on the kitchen table and moved to the mirror on the wall, checking her hair to make sure her beach waves were laying properly. As she finished adjusting her cleavage, helping her push up bra reach its maximum potential, she squealed in delight when she heard tires on the gravel outside.

She took a deep breath before walking out the front door just as Nicole was putting her truck in park. Standing with her hands on her hips, a bright grin on her face, Waverly watched as Nicole jumped out of the cab of her tall truck, and walked around to the passenger door to grab a small paper gift bag.

“Are you just going to stand up there and watch or are you going to help me?” She called as she opened up the rear passenger door and reached for her duffel and pillow.

Waverly ran forward, grabbing the gift from Nicole and leaned in for a half hug before walking back towards the house as Nicole followed close behind.

“Don’t open that yet.” Nicole scolded, catching Waverly trying to sneak a peek as they entered the homestead.

Waverly eyed her suspiciously for a moment before she led them into Wynonna’s bedroom turned guest suite that she had spent the afternoon cleaning.

“This is where you’ll be staying.” She said as she placed the gift down on the dresser. “I hope it’s okay.”

As she looked towards the closet, panic rose in her chest when she remembered she had forgotten to shut the door.

“There’s still some of my sister’s clothes, but don’t mind those,” she said with a forced smile as she hurriedly shut the closet door.

“This is perfect.” Nicole, who had just tossed the pillow on the bed and bag on the floor, smiled shyly as she looked over. “I hate to ask but I’ve been driving for hours. Do you happen to have a restroom I could use?”

Waverly nodded before leading Nicole out of the room and down the narrow hallway.

“This is the bathroom,” she said with a smile as she pointed to her left before gesturing to her right. “And this is my room if you need me— I mean, not right now. Well if I’m in it right now, then yes, feel free to come at me.” She slightly shook her head as she heard the words that were coming out of her mouth, finding that she was unable to stop.  “But in general, if you need me _at night_ this is where you will find me. I can help with anything you need. Not that you would need me at night… or during the day. Well, if you did, I wouldn’t complain.”

Horrified that she had allowed herself to ramble so embarrassingly, Waverly looked down.

“That was bad. I apologize.”

There was a slight pause before Nicole let a chuckle slip and spoke up.

“Don’t apologize. I think it was cute, and I’ll _definitely_ keep that in mind. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” She nodded her head towards the bathroom with a smirk.

“Oh, yeah. Sorry about that.” Waverly stepped back.

As Nicole stepped into the small room, quietly shutting the door behind her, Waverly walked back down the hall with her hands on her cheeks, chastising herself silently for her humiliating babble.

____

“Okay. You were right; this is the best burger I’ve ever had.” Nicole said as she finished chewing her bite of the barbeque bacon burger in her hands.

After a little convincing, Waverly had taken Nicole in her Jeep on the short tour of downtown Purgatory before stopping at Shorty’s for dinner, promoting their famed burger, which she had wagered would surpass any other Nicole had ever tried. Waverly had taken Nicole’s hand, interlacing their fingers as she navigated them through the dimly lit bar, which was at capacity thanks to the dinner crowd taking advantage of the Taco Tuesday night special. She felt Nicole stiffen next to her when she had to lecture Stupid Carl about respecting boundaries when he kept trying to block her path, insisting it wouldn’t take her too long to go grab him another beer. They had eventually taken their place in the booth she had Shorty reserve for her near the back and chatted for a moment before she hopped up and walked to the kitchen with their orders, deciding to bypass the clearly stressed waitress. After coming back with two burgers and a few local beers, Waverly was now reveling in her triumph.

“I told you and you didn’t believe me!” She said, pointing in an accusatory manner towards Nicole with the hand not holding her burger. “You know what that means?”

“Ihavtubydzrt.” Nicole mumbled while chewing the bite she had just taken.

“What was that?” Waverly smirked as she set her burger down and wiped her hands with her napkin. “I didn’t catch you?” She placed her fingertips together, elbows on the table as she leaned forward and smugly waited for Nicole to finish her bite.

“I have to buy dessert.”  Nicole said while trying to look sad, leaning forward as she pushed out her bottom lip, feigning a pout.

“Stop doing that.” She motioned to Nicole’s face before continuing, “That's no fair, you meanie. You’re the one who suggested the wager in the first place.” Waverly pushed at Nicole’s shoulder and watched as her pout broke into a laugh.

“Meanie?” Nicole leaned back into her seat and set her burger down, wiping her hands before grabbing a fry. “How are you the most adorable person on this planet?”

Waverly put on her serious face as she responded, “Adorable? How dare you. I’m mighty and fierce. Like a cheetah.”

“Well, you’re that too.” She picked up her burger. As she took another bite she moaned. “I am not kidding, if I hadn’t promised my heart Davey Mills in the second grade, I’d consider marrying this burger.”

“Okay stop it. You’re being ridiculous.” She popped a french fry in her mouth and thought for a moment. “So, I know I said after this I would take you to the best ice cream shop in Alberta, but if we go there I will have shown you literally everything Purgatory has to offer. What if we save that for tomorrow and instead we go pick up a pint of ice cream from the store and then head to the homestead to watch a movie?”

Nicole finished the last bite of her burger before she spoke up. “That sounds great. You’re the Purgatory expert so I’m game for anything.”

“Anything? I kind of want to take that as a challenge.” Waverly pried, tilting her head.

Nicole looked pointedly into Waverly’s eyes as she spoke. “Do it. I trust you.”

“Do you?” Waverly tried to inquire without being too forward, taking advantage of this shift in conversation.

They hadn’t spoken about Nicole’s disappearance since their morning trip to Tim Horton’s. Waverly wanted clarification that Nicole was doing better, especially since she was sure she had feelings for her. Unwilling to pursue anything if Nicole wasn’t ready, she was trying to figure out how to find out without overtly asking.

“Yeah, I really do. Listen, I know we haven’t known each other very long, but there’s something about you. I haven’t put my finger on it yet, but I promise I’m not going to run away.” She picked up her last french fry and continued, “Well, I’ll make sure I say goodbye first if I do.”

Waverly felt her heart clench at the word _goodbye_ but pressed on.

“Well, as long as you say goodbye first.”

“I promise. Now what’s your favorite kind of ice cream?” Nicole asked as she leaned forward and stole a french fry from Waverly.

____

“Are you _sure_ you want to watch this?”

A big fan of Jamie Lee Curtis, Waverly hadn’t protested when Nicole had chosen to watch Halloween, but the third time she felt the cushions move as Nicole jumped, releasing the blanket she had been clutching desperately as she covered her eyes with her hands, she decided she had to ask.

“Yeah, yes.” She leaned forward and grabbed the remote, pausing the movie as she shifted so she was facing Waverly, her leg tucked under the other as her knee rested on Waverly’s thigh. “It’s kind of a March tradition for me. I honestly do hate scary movies; always have. I know it seems dumb...” Nicole trailed off as she fiddled with the remote in her hands. She waited for a moment before she took a deep breath and continued. “My mom loved them. Her birthday is this weekend.”

“Oh.” Waverly breathed out.

She was at a loss for words. Nicole had shared something incredibly intimate and Waverly felt honored she had felt comfortable enough to open up.

Nicole quickly backtracked. “I’m sorry. That’s too much. I shouldn’t have—”

She was cut off mid-sentence by Waverly grabbing her hand, squeezing lightly before she released it and moved the blanket off of her lap.

“I feel privileged that you told me and were willing to let me in on your tradition.” She quietly said.

“Yeah. I probably should have warned you that I’m a big wimp, though.” Nicole chuckled.

“Is there anything I can do to make this a little less scary for you? Turn a light back on? Go grab my shotgun?” Waverly winked but began moving to get up and walk the short distance to the lightswitch.

She was stopped when Nicole silently grabbed her hand, tilting her head as she thought.

“How about we maybe scoot closer? It’s a scientific fact that scary movies aren’t as scary when you have someone next to you.”

“Is it?” Waverly grinned. Scooting closer, she immediately appreciated Nicole’s warmth as she continued, “That must have been in the science class the biology majors took because that wasn’t in any of my classes.”

She adjusted the blanket, covering both of their legs before she looked at Nicole again.

“Better?” Waverly asked, hopefully.

“Much.” Nicole said with a nod as she hit play again and tossed the remote to her side.

____

“AAAAAAAAAAGHHHHH.”

Waverly heard a loud scream followed quickly by a thump and the cocking of a revolver. Throwing the covers off of her body quickly, she jumped out of bed and ran towards the sound of the commotion.

She searched in the shadows feverishly and stopped as she saw Nicole, clad only in boy shorts, a t-shirt, and pair of socks, trying her best to scurry out of the guest bedroom. She was on her butt, pushing wildly on the old wooden floor with her hands and her socked feet, which kept sliding out from under her, as she tried desperately to escape the darkened room.

“Nicole, what is…” She looked down in confusion, heart rate quickening at the scene.

It was then that Wynonna made her appearance, wearing an old flannel shirt that Waverly hoped was covering a pair of panties as she closely following a terrified Nicole out of her bedroom. Waverly stalked forward, stepping in between both women as she threw her hands on her hips and faced her sister.

“WYNONNA. Why the hell are you here?” Waverly asked with fury in her eyes. She softened her look before Wynonna could respond as she looked back to Nicole desperately. “Are you okay? Did she hurt you? I will kill her if she did.”

Nicole shook her head wildly as she leaned around Waverly’s body to look at her attacker, whimpering to herself when she was met with the barrel of the old revolver.

“Waves, how do you know the woman who just groped me and said, ‘Mmm Waverly, I missed you.’” Wynonna said, suspiciously.

Waverly slowly turned around to look at Nicole for confirmation, finding that she was now fidgeting with her sock, cheeks tinged with a deep red crimson. She looked back to Wynonna as she responded. “This is Nicole. Remember, I said I was having a guest tonight and you promised to make yourself scarce.” She gritted out the last sentence, angry that Nicole had now been threatened with an Earp family heirloom because Wynonna didn’t keep yet another promise.

“Oooohhh. About that.” She lowered her gun and she pulled up her shirt, shoving it into her underwear before placing her shirt back down. “Doc and I got in a fight.”

“And you couldn’t make up like you usually do, all of the frickin time?” Waverly quickly glanced back as she heard Nicole stand up. She tossed a smile at her, reaching for her hand and tugging her forward to join the conversation before she dropped it and waited for a response from Wynonna.

“No.” Wynonna folded her hands and pouted. “He was being an asshat so I stormed out. I had to come home because I didn’t know where else to go. You could have warned me there was going to be a leggy redhead in my-” Her eyes widened as realization dawned on her face. “Pantless. Redhead. This is Nicole. The one you slept with in California!”

Nicole’s head whipped towards Waverly in question before she was enveloped in a tight bear hug from Wynonna, who began caressing her hair. “Bring it in, buddy. I’ve heard so much about you.”

“We didn’t sleep together, Wynonna. I told you I accidentally shared a bed with her.”

When Wynonna didn’t immediately release Nicole she stepped forward and rescued the woman, carefully prying her sister off of Nicole, who looked absolutely terrified.

“I thought I was staying in a guest bedroom?” Nicole blurted out as her eyes darted between the two women.

Waverly looked over and hung her head. “Yeah, I kind of lied. I panicked when I thought I was being too forward so I sent an additional text without thinking and then I tried to kick Wynonna out. She told me she was going to be gone for the night,” Waverly shot her sister an annoyed look before she continued, “So I cleaned up her room and staged it to look like a guest bedroom, which it technically was until a few months ago.” She struggled to catch her breath as she finished her explanation, looking anywhere but in the eyes of the two women in the room.

Wynonna laughed loudly, clutching her gut as she struggled for breath. “You told her we had a guest bedroom?”

Waverly chose to ignore her sister, still laughing next to her. She felt piercing brown eyes staring at her from other side but refused to look over, only finally giving in when she felt Nicole’s fingertips briefly graze her own.

“I wouldn’t have minded staying with you.” She said quietly.

“You wouldn’t?” Waverly tried not to sound too eager, but could hear in her voice that she was failing.

“Of course not.” Nicole smiled brightly as she turned to fully face Waverly, staring into her eyes.

“You two are gross, I’m going to bed.” Wynonna made a gagging noise as she walked back into her room. Reaching for the handle, she looked at Nicole. “Hey Red?"

Nicole broke her gaze and looked over expectantly before Wynonna continued, “If you’re joining me, I call big spoon.”

She wiggled her eyebrows as she slowly shut her door.

There was a moment of silence before Nicole spoke up.

“Um…” She trailed off as she looked away from the closed door. “So, I can sleep on that couch.” She pointed to the beaten up plaid sofa in the living room a few feet away.

“Nonsense. You already offered.” Waverly grabbed for Nicole’s wrist as she headed for her room. “Come on, I’ll let you be whatever spoon you want to be.” She threw a smile back to Nicole as they shuffled together in the darkness, hoping to convey she was only half kidding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! Sorry it's been a min. Life got busy. Next week is the week before Spring Break so all my prof's are cramming midterms in but I'm going to try my best to get a chapter in before I head out. Super stoked, I'm headed headed to Shanghai in 7 days and it's my first time traveling internationally (besides that one time I spent 3 days in Vancouver). 
> 
> Anywho, take care until next time! 
> 
> And SUPER HUGE THANKS to my amazing beta @BNNXP for all of the help on this!!


	10. Day One Hundred and Eighty-One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Excessive softness ensues.

Waverly gently pushed Nicole through the door and released her wrist as she shut the door behind her. Leaning into the old oak, she let her head fall back with a quiet thud as she hid her reddened face behind her palms.  
  
“I am so so so SO very sorry.” She quietly mumbled through her hands.  
  
Nicole closed the short distance and lightly pulled at her wrists, bringing her hands down to her sides. Placing her palm on Waverly’s cheek, she rubbed soothingly with her thumb for a moment before she let her hand fall to her side and offered a dimpled smile.  
  
“Don’t worry about it, okay. Your sister’s a great cuddler.”  
  
Ignoring Nicole’s jest, Waverly began scolding herself as she walked towards the bed. “I know you’re trying to make me feel better. Gah, I’m so dumb.” She plopped down and nodded to the other side, motioning for Nicole to join her as she continued moping. “If I would have just been honest, you wouldn’t have had a gun in your face tonight.”  
  
“Waverly, I promise it’s okay. It was kind of exciting.” Nicole said as she slid into bed, patting the bedspread absently as she leaned against the headboard and looked over.  
  
“Really?”

Waverly pulled her feet off the floor as she turned her body fully, sitting cross legged on the bed to face Nicole.  
  
She watched as Nicole nodded with pursed lips and an exaggerated expression, clearly forcing a lie.  
  
Waverly narrowed her eyes. “You’re lying to me, aren’t you?”  
  
“No.” Nicole’s voice cracked, too high pitched.  
  
“You’re a terrible liar.” She shoved Nicole’s shoulder and watched as she broke out into laughter.  
  
“Yeah, you’re right, it was absolutely terrifying. But it’s not so bad now.” She said with a smile, resting her hand on Waverly’s thigh as she squeezed lightly.  
  
There was a flutter in her stomach. Looking down, she tried to hide her blush. She thought for a moment of closing the short distance between their bodies but lost the opportunity when Nicole lifted her hand and began settling down in bed.  
  
Waverly quietly sighed. She uncrossed her legs and hopped out of bed to go turn off the light before slipping back under the covers. Always one to sleep cold, she could feel warmth radiating off of Nicole next to her. As silence filled the air, she slowly began shifting, hoping she was excusing her movements as getting comfortable when she was really trying to subtly sneak her way towards the heat of Nicole’s body.  
  
She froze when Nicole groggily muttered, now only a hair’s breadth away from her ear, “You’re not very sneaky.”  
  
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She said firmly, still frozen in place but clearly closer than when she had originally laid down.  
  
The bed dipped as Waverly felt Nicole’s body close the short distance and slide next to hers. Nicole lifted her head and dragged her pillow closer, mumbling, “Sure, sure. You’re as bad of a liar as I am.”  
  
Waverly smiled, happily accepting the offered warmth as she felt an arm wrap around her torso.  
  
“Goodnight, Waverly.”  
  
The smile prevalent in Nicole’s voice warmed her further.  
  
“Night, Nicole.” She smiled in return as she grabbed her hand and squeezed.

____

  
“Mmm. How are you so warm?” Waverly sighed with a smile against Nicole’s chest as she pulled the covers over her head, trying to block the sun slowly creeping through the satin curtains.  
  
There was a soft chuckle as the arm that had been wrapped around her middle all night long tugged, bringing her closer. Nicole had shifted in the night, now on her back, she had brought Waverly with her, hugging her closely against her side.  
  
“Waverly?” Nicole asked, tentatively.  
  
Waverly raised the blanket slightly, peering out through a small crevice into the light that held Nicole’s bright brown eyes.  
  
“Yeah?” She asked as she squinted towards the light.  
  
Nicole looked down, chewing on her bottom lip for a moment before she asked, “This might be a little late considering we spooned all night long…” She quietly laughed, adding, “And because your head is basically laying on my boob right now, but can I take you out on a date?”  
  
Waverly smiled brightly and opened her mouth to respond when she was abruptly cut off.  
  
“Morning ladddiiieessssss.” Wynonna said in a sing song voice as she came bursting through the door, carefully balancing three coffee mugs and still only wearing her old flannel and underwear.  
  
Nicole looked nervously down to Waverly who emerged from under the blanket to give her sister the biggest evil eyes she could muster before she retreated back under, grabbing the edge of her bedspread and pulling it down to block Wynonna out as she laid back against Nicole.  
  
“Baby Girl! That is not how you treat someone who woke up early to bring you coffee.” Wynonna said as she sat on the bed, placing the coffee mugs on the table next to her.  
  
“It’s six in the morning. How are you awake? I can’t get you out of bed before eight unless I bribe you with whiskey in your coffee.” She mumbled against Nicole.  
  
“I woke up to come check out this…” She paused and assessed the scene in front of her before she finished, “Situation.”  
  
Waverly felt a strong tug and the quilt was yanked from her grasp, thrown to the floor in one quick movement. She felt the cold hit her at the same time that Wynonna began poking at her neck.  
  
“Plus, Red here has an alarm set. Seems she’s an early riser.” Waverly whined as Wynonna’s cold fingers moved from her neck to her stomach and then back up again. “Wake up, baby girl, wake up. Wake up, wake up, wake up.”  
  
She felt Nicole’s body shake with silent laughter and slip out from her grasp.  
  
Standing near the edge of the bed, she looked down at the sisters. “I need to go turn that alarm off. If I don’t silence it, it will go off all day.” She smiled and left Waverly alone with Wynonna, still poking her.  
  
“How are you so happy right now?” She batted Wynonna’s hand away with a growl as she sat up and leaned over the bed for the blanket. She wrapped it around her shoulders and squinted into the light as she made a grabbing motion towards the coffee. “You got as much sleep as I did.”  
  
Wynonna shrugged her shoulders as she passed a mug forward and then reached for her own.  
  
“Coming home to a hot chick in my bed helped. Plus, I wanted to see if you two had banged yet.”  
  
Waverly slugged her sister in the arm before grasping her coffee mug with both hands again. “We haven’t banged and even if we did, it wouldn’t be any of your concern.”  
  
“Who’s banging?” Nicole asked as she entered the room again, now holding her phone and wearing a pair of sweats she had grabbed from her bag.  
  
“Nobody.” “You two.” Waverly finished at the same time as Wynonna, causing them to stop and glare at each other.  
  
Nicole stopped in place to assess the situation before she shook her head, slipped her phone in her pocket, and walked over and grabbed the coffee mug off of the bedside table. She took a long sip before she spoke up.  
  
“Can I take you both to breakfast?”  
  
Waverly groaned at the same time Wynonna clapped.  
  
“If you don’t wife her up I’m going to, Baby Girl.” Wynonna said with a smile as she hopped off of the bed. “Hell yeah you can, Nicky.” She patted Nicole’s bottom as she walked by. She stopped at the door frame and turned around. “I’m going to go find my pancake pants, don’t take too long you two.” She finished with a wiggle of her eyebrows before she disappeared out the door.  
  
Waverly groaned. Still clutching the blanket, she set her coffee on the nightstand before tossing her body forward onto the bed.  
  
“She’s the worst.” She mumbled against the mattress.  
  
Nicole chuckled as she walked forward and sat next to her.  
  
“She’s funny when she doesn’t have a gun in my face.”  
  
Waverly peered out from under the cocoon of covers she had wrapped around her body to glare at Nicole.  
  
“Don’t you _dare_ take her side.”  
  
“Okay, okay. I take it back.” She said with a smile before pausing. “I hope it’s okay that I asked her to come to the breakfast I didn’t ask you about first?”  
  
She sat back up and smiled while grabbing Nicole’s hand. “Of course. Thanks, that’s very sweet.”  
  
They sat in silence for a moment before Waverly spoke up again, still holding Nicole’s hand. “I’d love to go on a date with you.”

____

  
“So, Red.” Wynonna shoved a large bite of pancakes in her mouth and asked, “Sss whtre yr intenshns wi Wave?”  
  
Nicole set her coffee mug down and looked up, confused.  
  
Waverly, obviously catching the question, kicked her sister under the table.  
  
Wynonna yelped in pain and finished swallowing her bite of pancakes.  
  
Nicole looked back and forth between the two before she asked, “What is going on?”  
  
“Wynonna is just being an annoying older sister, which I totally don’t need because I am not a child anymore, am I Wynonna?” She gritted her teeth as she finished speaking.  
  
“All I’m saying is how much do we really know about this redhead who magically appeared in a forest?”  
  
“She didn’t magically appe—”  
  
Waverly stilled when she felt Nicole gently place her hand on her arm.  
  
“What do you want to know, Wynonna?”  
  
Wynonna’s face lit up at the question, obviously trying to sort out what to ask first.  
  
“Why all the traveling? What are you running from?”  
  
“Pass.” Waverly said with a wave of her free hand.  
  
She felt Nicole squeeze her forearm gently before she spoke up. “It’s okay, Waverly.”  
  
Nicole cleared her throat and began telling Wynonna about her last 18 months, albeit in much gentler detail than when Waverly had heard it in California. She recounted her time spent in Veterinary school, her intended internship, her plans to move in with her girlfriend, the accident, her travels across the US. When she finished, she released her grip on Waverly’s wrist and looked at Wynonna.  
  
“Fucking hell, Haught.”  
  
Nicole nodded and reached for her coffee. She took a long sip of the now cool beverage.  
  
“Do you have any other questions?”  
  
“Are the answers all as sad as that one?” She asked, pointedly.    
  
Waverly felt her stomach drop. Not known for sensitivity, she worried Wynonna’s rudeness had pushed Nicole too far. There was a stark silence at the table, the only sounds coming from the chatter and clinking of silverware hitting plates from those around.  
  
Nicole blinked a few times before she burst out into laughter, softening the mood at the table. Waverly’s expression softened as she started chuckling. Looking to her left, she was greeted with Nicole’s happy gaze.    
  
“No, honestly everything’s pretty okay besides that. When it rains it pours, I guess.”  
  
“Well, that’s one way to put it.” Wynonna set down her coffee and leaned forward. “Waves and I here know something about loss, but I’m sure she’s told you about that.”  
  
“Hmm?” Nicole said as she looked at Waverly with a puzzled expression.  
  
“Oh…” She trailed off as she looked at Wynonna. “I hadn’t, actually.”  
  
Wynonna’s eyes widened. “Hmm. I just thought since you two were sleeping together...”  
  
“Why does everyone keep saying that!?” She shouted. “We haven’t slept together.”

Waverly looked up and feigned an apologetic smile to Mrs. Garfield at the next table, who clearly did not find the outburst funny in the least.

“What is she talking about?” Nicole asked in a hushed tone with a blush to her cheeks, ignoring Waverly’s tantrum.  
  
Waverly puffed out a breath of air before she set her fork down. “It’s kind of a long story.” She shot Wynonna a glare before she looked back to Nicole. “Tell you later?”

Nicole looked like she was going to say something, opening her mouth before she snapped it shut and nodded.

____

“This ice cream is to die for.” Nicole said with a moan. “I think I’m in love with Purgatory’s food.”

Waverly giggled as she licked the almond milk burnt almond fudge swirl off of her spoon. “I hope you enjoyed the food tour of Purgatory. It’s short, but delicious.”

Nicole laughed to herself as she looked down at the ice cream.

“What?” Waverly asked, kicking her shin slightly under the table at the parlor.

Nicole shook her head, still laughing. “Nothing. Don’t mind me.”

“No.” She narrowed her eyes. “What is it?”

“Nothing. Seriously, Waves. Forget about it.”

“Fine.” She quipped, body stiffening before she focused her attention back to her spoon.

“Waves?”

“What?” She snapped with a glare as she looked back up.

“Why ar—”

Nicole began before Waverly rushed out her thoughts.

“I don’t like being left out.” She said with a grimace.

She thought back to all of those times from her childhood, the ones when she’d watch Wynonna and Willa play in their treehouse, telling her she was too young or not cool enough to be included.

Noticing the look of hurt on Waverly’s face, Nicole’s expression softened. Setting her almost empty cup of ice cream down on the table, she quietly said, “I’m so sorry if I offended you.”

She opened her mouth to tell Nicole it was nothing, just that she was curious to know what she was thinking, but what came out was surprisingly honest.

“I’m left out a lot. Well, _was_ left out a lot.” Hey eyes widened slightly when she realized she hadn’t shared what she thought she was going to. She took a deep breath before she continued, deciding to commit to the story. “I had another sister, Willa. She was really close in age to Wynonna. They were like two peas in a pod and I was just there. I don’t think Willa liked me very much. I’d try and keep up whenever they were out roaming the homestead, but Willa would whisper in Wynonna’s ear and they’d take off. It’s kind of a thing for me now, being left out I mean. Still kind of sensitive about it.”

“Waverly, I’m so sorry. I promise I didn’t mean to leave you out like that. I just didn’t want you to judge me for what I was thinking.”

“I would never judge you, Nicole.” Waverly set her hand down on the table, near Nicole’s cup of mint chocolate chip ice cream.

Nicole took her hand, turning Waverly’s hand over, she interlaced their fingers as she sheepishly looked down. Waverly watched as her cheeks turned a color that matched her hair as she mumbled something Waverly couldn’t quite hear.

“What?” She asked as she leaned in closer.

“I said I thought ‘you are also short and delicious, just like the Purgatory food tour.’ That’s what I was laughing about.”

Worried she had gone too far, Nicole moved to pull her hand back.

Waverly’s smile engulfed her face. Eyes crinkling at the corners, she squeezed Nicole’s hand, not letting her go.

“You want to get out of here?” Waverly said with a wink.

Nicole stood up immediately, bringing Waverly’s hand with her. Her face lit up as she grabbed her half eaten ice cream and nodded towards the door.

“Let’s go.”

____

“When you said ‘Let’s get out of here’ this isn’t what I had in mind.” Nicole said with a look of terror on her face.

“What did you think I meant?” She asked with a devilish grin to her face as she set her shotgun down and turned around to face Nicole.

She had driven them back to the homestead before collecting a few guns from the house and some old targets they had lying around. She drove as far out into the Earp land as she could before the half melted snow became too deep to maneuver through.

“What? You don’t like to shoot?” She pulled her goggles off and grabbed for the Gatorade bottle she had grabbed out of the fridge before they set off on their journey.

Nicole looked over at the handgun Waverly had brought for her, still sitting in the back of the Jeep.

“I mean, I never have.”

Waverly pulled her face back in confusion, a look of amusement in her expression.

“You’ve never shot a gun?”

Nicole looked nonplussed.

“Why would I have shot a gun? I’m a vet, remember? I want to _save_ animals.”

“Nicole, we aren’t shooting animals.” She held up the empty Coke cans she had brought for Nicole to shoot at and pushed it forward for emphasis. “See. It’s metal.”

“You’ve never gone hunting?”

“Why would I go hunting? I’ve adopted so many animals from the WWF that I could literally open a zoo.”

“But you like guns?” Nicole asked, clearly mystified.

“Because they are fun to shoot?” She said with a slight smirk to her face before she continued with a more serious tone. “Look, I’m not going to force you to try it, but they are kind of fun. And I can teach you if you want?”

Nicole looked back at her handgun before she looked at Waverly again, a small smile forming at the corners of her lips. “I mean, if you’re willing to teach me…”

____

Their afternoon had been delightful. Nicole had been shockingly good at shooting a handgun, as if it was second nature to her in another life. After Waverly had demonstrated safety basics and stood behind her, wrapping her small body around Nicole’s to show her the proper stances, she stepped back and let Nicole try. She hit the can of Coke off of the old fence post on her first shot, eliciting a happy squeal from Waverly as she jumped up and down excitedly.

After Waverly had set up a few proper targets, she had let Nicole try again. Hitting the dead center of every one, Waverly had narrowed her eyes and accused Nicole of doing this before. She promptly placed the handgun gently down and threw her hands in the air, promising on her truck that this was her first time. After a moment of inspection, Waverly resigned that she wasn’t lying and picked up the shotgun to show her how to use it. She had been surprisingly bad at that one.

They had spent the rest of their time wandering the land before Waverly sighed, noting the time and apologizing for not being able to get the closing shift off at work. Nicole had insisted she didn’t mind, stating she had a few shows on Netflix she needed to catch up on.

After stepping out of the shower, she quickly changed into her Shorty’s uniform and stepped into the living room, where she had left Nicole with the remote and a bag of jelly beans.

“So if you want, the Wifi password is under the router.” She said with a point as she walked over and picked up her heels from their resting place by the front door. “There is leftovers in the fridge, meal prep dinners I made a few weeks ago in the freezer, or takeout brochures above the microwave. You’re welcome to anything and everything here.”

Placing a leg under her thigh as she sat down next to Nicole, she turned her body to face her as she finished explaining her instructions. “Wynonna might be back tonight. I never know with her and Doc. If she is, I apologize in advance if she gets you drunk. You should probably move your stuff to my room so you have access to it. I know we’re still working through…” She trailed off, staring at her hands, she wasn’t sure how to express her thoughts. “If you want, you can take my room and I can take the couch. I know last night wasn’t really what I promised…” She sighed as she finally looked up into Nicole’s bright brown eyes.

Nicole quirked an eyebrow before she snickered. “I’m fine sharing a bed with you. Just climb in when you get back. I won’t bite.”

“Are you sure? I feel so bad about—”

“I’m sure, Waves.” She said resolutely. “Now, I think your shift starts soon and unless I’m mistaken, you have a 20 minute drive to town.”

“You’re right.” Waverly stared at her for a moment, not making a move, before she finally got up and moved towards the door.

Nicole had already picked up the remote and was about to press play when she turned back around.

“Hey, Nicole?”

“Hmm?” She asked with a smile as she set the remote back down and focused her attention on Waverly.

“I’m glad you’re here.” She quietly said.

Her face lit up as she responded, “I’m glad to be here, Waves. See you tomorrow?”

“Definitely.” She said brightly before grabbing her purse and stepping out the front door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! I apologize for the delay... I GREATLY overestimated how much energy I'd have to write while on vacation. 
> 
> Anywho, I'm about to hit the second half of my last semester and I am almost too good at writing to avoid homework so I think that means chapters will come out a tad faster! Hopefully you enjoyed this one... even though it was incredibly soft!
> 
> Thanks for your lovely comments and kudos. You all never fail to make my day! Have a great weekend!!! 
> 
> P.S. Thanks, as always, to BNNXP for being an AMAZING beta!


	11. Day One Hundred and Eighty-Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Date

Waverly loudly sighed to herself as she dropped her purse and kicked off her heels as she walked in the front door of the homestead. Her night at Shorty’s had been as close to a disaster as possible. Shorty, who was scheduled to bartend, had gotten a flat tire on his way back from Calgary and their fry cook, Eddie, had called in with a case of gastroenteritis, leaving them shorthanded all around. Normally it wouldn’t be a problem for a Thursday night in Purgatory, but a group of Calgary Dinos baseball players had stopped in for a meal on their way back from a game up north, wanting to drink at the same bar where Wyatt Earp drank. She had spent her time running from table to table taking the group’s orders, hurrying to the kitchen to help Gus prepare the food, politely chasing away Pete when he asked for her number, cleaning up the pool table when Champ had spilled a pitcher over the worsted wool, and running food back to a rowdy group of college athletes before heading back to the bartending duties she was covering for Shorty. Her saving grace that saved the night from being a complete failure was the generous tip the coach had left and the texts she had received throughout her shift that she finally got a chance to see when she was able to pull her phone out after close.

> _ Nicole; 7:23 pm: This cheesy breakfast casserole is amazing. Will you please teach me how to make it? _
> 
> _ Nicole; 8:48 pm: Um… Do you have ghosts? Because your house is making some weird noises. _
> 
> _ Nicole; 9:02 pm:  JK it was your sister being an asshole. Don’t call the authorities. _
> 
> _ Nicole; 10:35 pm: Hi cutie! _
> 
> _ Nicole; 10:36 pm: guess what!? I have a secret _
> 
> _ Nicole; 10:37 pm: Wavvvvverrrllyy _
> 
> _ Nicole; 10:39 pm: what's taking you so long? _
> 
> _ Nicole; 10:40 pm: you took too long. Secret’s out: I'm drunk.  _
> 
> _ Nicole; 11:52 pm: I am so glad I met you. You’re so nice (when you’re not pissed about sharing a cabin with me in the woods, you were a little mean then. But don’t worry, I forgave you) and so beautiful and so so smart. I’m so excited to take you on a date and show you how amazing I think you are.  _
> 
> _ Nicole; 11:55 pm: Part of me thinks I might regret that text in the morning. Drunk me is right tho. _
> 
> _ Nicole; 11:58 pm: Also, I need you to appreciate that there are no types in those massages. It took me wayyyyyyy too long to make sure there weren’t amy. _
> 
> _ Nicole; 12:01 am: dang it. I def had typos in that one. _
> 
> _ Nicole; 12:18 am: OH NO. SHE FOUND MORE WHISKEY. _

That was the last of Nicole’s texts. Wynonna had also sent a few, picking up where Nicole had left off.

> _ Wynonna; 12:26 am: Your girlfriend is a lightweight. You don’t have my blessing anymore. _
> 
> _ Wynonna; 12:41 am: Okay she just promised me pancakes again. And something about making me a breakfast casserole? Not completely sure because she passed out right after. But wedding is back on. _

Their interactions had made her laugh and had decreased her stressful night a little, reminding her that there was a smart, gorgeous woman who was clearly interested waiting for her back at her home, although on the drive home she had gotten nervous, unsure of the possible hangover Wynonna had caused for Nicole with her drunken shenanigans.

Walking into the living room, she was happy to find that Nicole wasn’t passed out in the living room; she had either made it back to her bedroom or Wynonna’s. She sucked in a breath as she peeked into her sister’s room, but only saw Wynonna snoring softly. After quietly closing the door, she padded down the hallway to the bathroom, brushing her teeth and washing her face before she walked into her room, almost laughed out loud at the sight that greeted her. Nicole was starfishing across her bed, still completely clothed, mouth agape, with a bunch of messy red hair spread over her pillow and all of the blankets from her bed strewn around the floor. 

Waverly stood there and admired the scene for a moment. Nicole, clearly blackout drunk, looked beautiful in the soft moonlight; her pale skin had a warm glow that brightened her already perfect features. 

After silently pulling out pajamas from her dresser, she turned her body away from the bed, not wanting a drunk Nicole to catch her in a compromising position. Turning back around, now in her pajamas, she tried to decide if she was going to squeeze in to what available space there was on the bed or head to the couch, before ultimately deciding there wasn’t enough room for her. She giggled quietly as she picked up her comforter, gently placing it over Nicole before she turned to leave.

“Wherer yougoin?” She heard right as she reached the doorknob.

She slowly turned around and smiled when she saw that Nicole had slightly lifted her head and was squinting her direction, still spread across her bed.

“There wasn’t enough room and I didn’t want to wake you. You looked so… peaceful.” Waverly laughed as she finished her thought.

“I’m never drinking again.” Nicole moaned as she sat up and rubbed at her eyes before she looked down at her legs. “Why am I still in jeans?”

Nicole grunted as she stiffly moved over to one side of the bed and patted for Waverly to join her. 

Walking quickly over, Waverly tried to suppress her smile as she responded. “You tell me. I just got here.”

“The last thing I remember was texting—” She paused as her face flushed with a look of dread. “OH MY GOD. How many texts did I send you?” 

Patting her pockets, Nicole frantically searched for her phone before Waverly stilled her movements with a hand to her forearm.

“They made me smile. Promise.” She yawned deeply, covering her mouth before shaking her head and looking back at Nicole. “Do you mind if we pause this conversation until the morning? I am dead. Work was a nightmare tonight.”

Nicole’s face quickly turned from dread to concern as she looked down at Waverly, who had just laid down. 

“You okay now?” Nicole asked as she followed Waverly, laying down and shimmying out of her jeans before rolling to face her.

“Great, thanks.” Waverly said with a smile as she scooted closer.

“Umm…” 

She paused and looked up towards Nicole’s worried brown eyes.

“I’m all for cuddling, but I should tell you I’m still a little drunk.”

“Oh.” Waverly laughed and scooted back. “I don’t want to take advantage of you.”

“I mean, it wouldn’t be the first time. You were the drunk one that time, though.” Nicole said with a smirk.

Waverly winced at the memory of her drunken escapades, the night that resulted in a hand up Nicole’s shirt and legs intertwined in the woods of Northern California. 

“I’m still sorry about that. That wasn’t fair to you.” She said quietly while admiring the smile that formed on Nicole’s face, the smile that perfectly showcased her dimples.

“Don’t be. Seriously.” She said as she reached over and tucked a strand of hair behind Waverly’s ear, sending a shiver down her spine. After pulling away she added, “And I’m okay if you want to cuddle again, I just wanted you to know first.”

“I appreciate that. And if you really don’t mind, you’re like the bonus blanket I never knew I needed. So I’m just going to...” Waverly didn’t bother finishing her sentence as she slid closer and accepted the offered body heat.

Nicole chuckled and wrapped an arm around her as she adjusted in bed, wrapping a leg securely around Waverly and pulling her tight.

“I promise I’ll keep it PG tonight.” Waverly mumbled as an afterthought as she felt sleep overtake her.

She heard a smile in Nicole’s tone as she groggily muttered, “Dang it,” as she drifting off to sleep.

____

“Good morning, sleepyhead.” Waverly said as she set her mug down on the table after watching a pantsless Nicole walk slowly down the hall.

“You forgot something.” She said with a dip of her head, gesturing to the long pale legs before her.

Nicole finished rubbing the sleep out of her eyes as she looked down. “Dammit.” 

She turned around to go back to Waverly’s bedroom as Wynonna emerged from her bedroom. 

Dressed and smiling brightly, she greeted a groggy Nicole. “Hello, Nopants. How’s the morning treating you?”

Nicole shot a pointed glare at her, ignoring the question but shaking her head silently as she walked by and down the hall.

Waverly heard her bedroom door click shut and looked back to her sister. 

Wynonna had just finished pouring herself a cup of coffee and had turned to the fridge when Waverly asked, with annoyance, “Did you have to get her drunk, Nonna?”

She finished adding the creamer she had just grabbed before she looked over her shoulder, flashing a devilish grin.

“Yes and she passed my test.”  
  
Waverly’s face scrunched up in confusion. “What test?”

“She got drunk and didn’t hit on me.”

“What?” Waverly asked with anger.

Wynonna put the creamer back sat down on the chair next to Waverly. Tipping her cup slightly towards Waverly, she said, “Champ failed when I did it to him. Stupid guy said he had a big back seat in his truck he’d like to show me. That’s why I hated the fucktard so much. And you broke up with Rosita before I had a chance to get drunk with her.”

“What the hell, Wynonna?” Waverly practically shouted before lowering her voice and leaning in. “I can handle my own dating life, thank you very much.”

“Believe me, I know that.” Wynonna paused, letting silence fill the room as she looked out the front window. After a moment she looked over and spoke again. “It’s just you and me, has been for a long time. And you’re so good, better than anyone I know. I want to make sure the people around you deserve you, Wave.”

“I got by just fine without you around, you know. Bryce in college? You weren’t around for him.” Waverly snapped as she folded her arms and scrunched up her face.

A flash of hurt crossed Wynonna’s face before it became passive again. 

“I’m trying… the only way I know how.” Wynonna quietly said before Nicole, who had tamed her wild red hair and was now wearing sweatpants, cleared her throat from across the room, breaking the tension.

“Sorry to interrupt, I just wanted you ladies to know I am here.”

Wynonna shot up and pointed to the chair. “Here you go, Red. Warmed the seat up for you.”

“Oh, I’m fine. I was going to go hop in the shower, I think.” Nicole said as she stepped closer and leaned against a counter, placing her palms down on the counter behind her body.

“Do you mind if I shower first? I think I’m going to go in early today.” Wynonna said, not waiting for a response as she walked by and down the hall to the bathroom.

Waverly rolled her eyes before looking to Nicole and softening her gaze. “Want me to show you how to make that breakfast casserole?”

Nicole tilted her head to the side. “What breakfast casserole?” 

She hesitated, not sure if she remembered wrong or if Nicole had gotten too drunk to remember. “The— the one you texted me about?”

Nicole looked mystified, slightly shrugging as she folded her arms.

“God, Nicole. How much did you guys drink last night?” She questioned, watching as Nicole’s face dissolved from confusion to laughter.

“I’m just being an asshole.” She said after catching her breath. “Of course, I remember.”

Waverly stood up and walked over to smack her arm. “You think you’re so funny?” 

Nicole nodded with a satisfied grin.

Waverly leaned towards Nicole, still against the counter. She grabbed at the drawstring coming down from the front of her sweatpants, playing mindlessly with it.

“I should cancel our date.”

“You wouldn’t dare.” Nicole said with a challenge, leaning down and smiling.

“You’re right.” Waverly said, pressing forward slightly and softly reaching up for Nicole’s cheek.

Suddenly she felt Nicole slip through her grasp and move over to the bread on the opposite counter. 

“Do we need this for the casserole?”

Waverly caught herself and turned to face Nicole. She pushed down the confusion and stepped forward. “Yeah, but I snuck out this morning and bought a new loaf, so let’s use that instead.”

____

“You’re sure you want to do this?”   
  
She was skeptical; Nicole had been wearing a look of fatigue on her face all morning long, clearly still recovering from her night with Wynonna. As they cooked, Nicole would stop to rub at her temple before diving back into whatever task she had assigned. She excused herself once, yelling that she needed to pee, but she was pretty sure she heard Nicole vomit down the hall. To her credit, she finished all of the piece of breakfast casserole Waverly had dished up, even asking for seconds before Waverly spared her and promised that it was even better the next day. 

Waverly politely thanked Nicole for opening her door as she clambered into the tall truck, huffing as she tossed her scarf to the side after settling in her seat.   
  
Nicole, now leaning against the door staring at her with her head tilted to the side, chuckled quietly before she spoke. “I think watching you get in here is my new favorite thing. And I’m positive, let’s go.”   
  
She shut the door to the truck and walked over to the other side. Easily getting in, she looked at Waverly after she finished buckling her seatbelt.   
  
“Does Purgatory have a coffee shop? I would kill for a peppermint mocha with like four extra shots right now.”   
  
Waverly put on her serious face. “Nicole. I swear to you, I’m fine if we order pizza and watch Lion King. We don’t need to go out on this big adventure.”   
  
“I want to take you out.” She held her thumb and finger close together as she added, “I just maybe need a little bit more coffee first.”   
  
She shook her head and smiled. “You’re stubborn.”   
  
“Thank you?” Nicole asked as she started the truck.   
  
“If you head into town I’ll show you where the coffee shop is. I’m not sure they have a peppermint mocha, but the espresso is pretty good.”   
  
Nicole smiled, not taking her eyes off the road. “That sounds great.”   
  
They drove in respectable silence for a few minutes before Waverly spoke up again.   
  
“I’m sorry Wynonna got you drunk."   
  
"Hmm?" She asked, looking over as she came to the first stop sign on their drive to town.   
  
"Wynonna. I'm sorry she forced you to get drunk with her last night."   
  
Nicole's face scrunched up in confusion. An adorable look that Waverly made a mental note of to snap a picture the next time it appeared.   
  
"She didn't force me. We were sitting in the living room talking about her travels throughout Europe and she was drinking some whiskey and I asked if I could have a glass… which maybe turned into two and then three. I haven't had hard liquor since that night in the Redwoods with you, so I should have known my tolerance would be low."   
  
She sighed gratefully before she remembered Nicole's last text. "What about when she found the other bottle of whiskey?"    
  
"I'm pretty sure I passed out before she handed me a glass. I have a vague memory of her tossing me onto your bed."   
  
"Did she flirt with you?" Waverly asked tentatively. She trusted her sister, but a few years spent with Champ had taught her to be wary of her romantic interests.   
  
Nicole shrugged. "She said my ass was top shelf. But that's about it."   
  
"Okay, good." She let out a sigh of relief. "So, where did you say we are going again?" 

Waverly reached over and took the hand Nicole had dangling off of the middle armrest, absently playing with her fingers as she drove.   
  
Nicole narrowed her eyes and looked over suspiciously. "Nice try, but I didn't tell you in the first place."   
  
"Fine. Why am I dressed like a marshmallow then?" She released Nicole’s hand as she gestured to her blue puffy coat over her old cheer sweatshirt, wool scarf, beanie and gloves dangling out of her pockets.    
  
"Because you sleep with four blankets. You tend to run cold and I don’t want you to hate this date."   
  
“Too late. I already hate it because you won’t tell me what it is.” She said with a serious tone, trying her best to hide the smile threatening to appear at the corner of her lips.

Nicole, not bothering to look over as she was busy making a left turn, offered with concern, “I don’t want you to hate today. I can tell you. I found a pl—”

“No!” She rushed out quickly. “I like that you went to so much trouble. I’m just giving you a hard time.”

“I can handle that.” Nicole said, looking over quickly she winked before grabbing a pair of sunglasses from the cup holder and putting them on. 

As a comfortable silence filled the air on their drive to town, Waverly smiled to herself when she felt Nicole reach across the seat and rest a hand on her thigh.

____

Waverly stared at the front of the massive lodge for a moment before she looked over at Nicole, confused. “I thought I was going to show you Banff?”

“Well, I want you to, definitely. But I wanted to do something I hadn’t done before with you. Normally I improvise at life, but I wanted to plan something special for you.”

Waverly blushed. 

“I love planning.” She ducked her head and looked shyly away. “That’s— that’s really sweet.” 

She toed at the ground before she felt Nicole’s fingers lift her chin. 

“You’re worth it.” 

Waverly felt the urge to pull Nicole into a searing kiss but as she went to lean forward she felt Nicole’s hand trail down her arm. 

Interlacing their fingers together, she let Nicole pull her forward as she heard her say, “Well come on, now. We’ve got some waivers to sign.”

____

Sitting in the Cliffhouse Bistro, Waverly sighed contentedly as she took another sip of cocoa and tried to shy away from feelings the hand resting high on her thigh under the table were giving her. She felt her stomach flip incessantly as Nicole, sitting next to her on the bench that had a beautiful view of the mountain to their right, soothingly rubbed her thumb back and forth across her upper leg.

“I’m—” She paused as her voiced cracked. She cleared her throat and looked into Nicole’s bright brown eyes. “I’m still not over how much fun that was.”

Nicole beamed with joy. “I’m glad you liked it. I wasn’t sure if tubing would be your thing.”

Waverly thought back to just an hour before as she had ridden down the slope, watching as Nicole held tightly to her inner tube, head thrown back and smiling as she looked over at her. They had been tubing for the last hour and a half, taking advantage of the mostly empty hill by hurrying back up just so they could slide back down again. They would race in different lanes, go together holding hands in the same, Nicole would go down first and cheer Waverly on as she went down, and vice versa. 

Right before their last run, Nicole had tackled her into a snow bank and tickled incessantly until Waverly yelled uncle. She felt a burning deep within her core when Nicole grabbed her by the waist and climbed on top of her, knees on either side of her hips. Goosebumps erupted on her skin when Nicole lowered her torso onto Waverly’s and whispered in her ear, “you’re amazing.” She waited, wide-eyed and full of excitement as Nicole’s breath ghosted from her ear around to her cheek, stopping right above her mouth before she abruptly pulled back and Waverly felt a face full of snowball extinguish any sort of desire that had just built up. As her face lit up in mock outrage, she used her yoga-credited strength and had flipped their positions, grabbing a snowball and dangling it above Nicole before she promised a hot chocolate in the lodge. She dropped the snowball onto Nicole’s exposed neck in retaliation before she shimmied up and reached down to offer her a hand. She was caught completely off guard when she saw a glimpse of an idea of a future full of stupid shenanigans like this with Nicole. She could see them hiking through Corcovado National Park hand in hand, going whale watching in Nosy Be, pulling her along as they admire Moon Hill in Yangshuo. Whatever the adventure, she was starting to feel she wanted Nicole there alongside her. 

“Yeah, tubing was definitely my thing.” She reached down and placed her hand on top of Nicole’s. Squeezing gently she asked, “Nicole?”

Nicole stilled her movements and looked over inquisitively. 

“Tell me about your favorite place you’ve been to.” The ‘since you started traveling’ hung in the air, unsaid.

She placed her mug gently down on the table and tilted her head in thought. 

After a moment of silence, she spoke up. “Well, about six months ago I ended up in Northern California where I met this girl.”

Waverly felt her cheeks redden as Nicole recanted their time together in the forest. After she finished, Nicole asked the same question back.

“Besides Alberta, I’ve only been to the Redwoods.” She hesitated, feeling a little timid. “That was great but I’d like to see more one day. Maybe visit some of the places I’ve read about.”

“Tell me about them.” Nicole said confidently as used the hand still resting on Waverly’s thigh to squeeze her leg.

As Nicole attentively listened to her ramblings about all of the places she had read about, she was sure she could see a future where she got to see them all in person with Nicole by her side.

____

Waverly was still reeling from the from the excitement of the day. After tubing and hot chocolate, Nicole had taken her a short ten minute drive down the road and they had walked hand in hand through the old spruce trees covered in snow that littered Fenland Trail. After lazily finishing the 2 kilometer loop that involved snapping some pictures and talking about nothing in particular, they headed back to the truck and drove into Banff, opting to eat souvlaki at Barpa Bill’s before heading back home for the night.

She felt the warm feeling, low in the pit of her stomach when Nicole had quietly woken her up and announced they were back to the homestead, before she hopped out of the truck and ran around to open Waverly’s door. Taking Nicole’s offered hand, Waverly awkwardly climbed down and leaned into her side as they walked back to the door. She felt Nicole start to pull away as they reached the steps but thought nothing of it as she inspected her surroundings. The lights were off and there was no truck to be seen, if Wynonna had come home after their fight this morning, she clearly wasn’t here, which was all the better for what Waverly had planned next, and hoped Nicole would be a fan of, on their drive home before she had accidentally fallen asleep.

After unlocking the door, she shoved the house key back in her coat pocket and turned around. Her breath hitched when she realized just how close to her body Nicole actually was. She felt her back hit the wood of the old front door as Nicole’s body pressed against hers and leaned down towards her small frame. She closed her eyes and hoped that the nervous throbbing she heard in her ears would quiet down when she actually felt Nicole’s perfect lips on hers. As she pursed her lips and pushed up on the tips of her toes, she felt a sinking feeling when she was met with a woosh of air and coldness. Her eyes shot open and she watched, devastated, as Nicole's retreating frame hurriedly marched down the porch steps and towards her truck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *insert Homer Simpson backing into bush gif here*


	12. Day One Hundred and Eighty-Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Aftermath

The sound of Nicole’s boots crunching down on the half-melted snow filled the night air.  

“Nicole?” She asked, confused, struggling to not feel hurt at the loss.

She heard a faint, “I can’t,” as Nicole reached the door to her truck.

Remembering she had locked it, Nicole fumbled in the pocket of her puffy coat as Waverly processed what she had just heard.

“I can’t,” Waverly repeated to herself before her eyes shot up in realization and she launched her tiny frame forward. Nicole was not going to just drive away again.

“Oh no you don’t!” Waverly yelled after her, just as Nicole found her keys and pressed the remote to unlock the door.

Picking up her pace, she reached the truck right as Nicole grabbed for the handle. Yanking the keys out of Nicole’s hand, Waverly quickly hit lock and tossed them with as much strength as she could muster out into the darkness without thinking twice.

“Where the heck do you think you’re going?” She said with a snarl as she looked back into Nicole's stunned eyes.

“What the hell, Waverly?” Nicole bit out as her eyes narrowed in anger.

She brushed by Waverly and headed into the snowy darkness but was stalled when Waverly’s hand grabbed her wrist and held her in place.

“No. You’re not just leaving again!” She felt anger rack her entire body. She had let Nicole into her life under the assumption that this exact scenario would not happen again.

“Watch me.” She sounded cold, so unlike the charming woman Waverly had spent the entire day being wooed by.

Nicole yanked her hand free and continued her search.

“Why the frick did you take me out on a date?” Waverly yelled as she followed after. She kept seeing flashes of the day appear in the back of her mind as she walked. “And then massage my thigh the entire way there, and FYI, I let you go way higher than anyone else I’ve ever been on a first date with! Then you straddled me in a snowbank! And stared at my ass when I bent down to tie my shoe on our hike.” Noticing the look Nicole tossed back as she continued searching the darkness, she added, “Yeah, don’t think I didn’t catch you. And yes, I stayed down there longer than I needed to. So, _you’re welcome_.”

Her body collided with Nicole’s when she abruptly stopped. Waverly slowly backed up and watched as Nicole’s tense shoulders slowly relaxed. When Nicole eventually turned around and Waverly got a chance to look into her bright brown eyes, her heart clenched as a single tear ran down her cheek.

Ignoring the anger she felt, Waverly stepped cautiously forward and pulled off her gloves, dropping them carelessly to the ground. She timidly reached up and placed her hand on Nicole’s cheek, breathing a sigh of relief when she leaned into the contact, and wiped the stray away with her thumb.

“Waverly.” Nicole whispered into the darkness before she stepped backward, twirling around and marching out into the field, shattering the moment.

“No no no no no!” She ran forward and stopped Nicole’s march by throwing her body in front. “Where are you going to go, huh? All your stuff is in my bedroom.” She pointed angrily at the homestead, now far off in the distance.

“You can have it.” She sidestepped Waverly’s body and continued further. “It’s all junk anyway.”

Exasperated, Waverly threw her hands up as she followed. “What are you so afraid of?”

Nicole spun around and unzipped her coat before grabbing Waverly’s hand and pulling it to her chest, just above her left breast. She felt the strong beat of Nicole’s heart pushing against her hand. Waverly could feel the beating of her own racing heart, in sync to Nicole’s erratic rhythm.

“That. That’s what I’m afraid of.” Nicole released a staggered breath and backed up as Waverly’s fingers slowly fell down the front of her body. “I’m not going to lose another person I care about. I can’t. It almost killed me the first time.”

She reacted before Nicole had a chance to turn back around.

“You’re a chicken shit, Nicole Haught.” Waverly felt the anger spewing out of her mouth. “You think you’re the only person who’s lost someone important? You’re bailing before I’ve even had a chance to tell you about mama taking off with my oldest sister without so much as a goodbye to Wynonna or me. I haven’t seen my own mother in 18 years!” She felt her body betray her when anger morphed into devastation and tears streamed down her cheeks. “And daddy? Shot and killed a few years after mama left. Guess what? Uncle Curtis died too. People have left me too, Nicole.” She wiped at her eyes with her coat sleeve and continued. “I did everything you wanted, you know. You asked about my ‘girl phase’? I dated a woman. Guess what? I _REALLY_ enjoyed having sex with her.” She ignored the pained expression on Nicole’s face at that statement as she continued. “And then _you_.” She stormed forward and poked Nicole in the chest. “You take off without a trace, harder to find than my phone that time Wynonna got drunk and lost it in the cases of whiskey in the stockroom at Shorty’s.” She felt another tear fall down her cheek and looked up to see Nicole had tears in her eyes as well. “I looked for you. I stalked every form of social media, even LinkedIn. LinkedIn, Nicole! I called your colleges trying to find information on you, I tried to bribe Lonnie at the station to reach out to a cop friend he had in the states. But I stopped because I wanted to respect your wishes, obviously you didn’t want me to know.”

“Waves—” Nicole breathed out.

“And then you show up at Rosita’s. And not just on accident! You were on your way to see me! And you seemed better; more whole. So I let myself hope. And you even came here, to my home. And cuddled and smiled and _texted_ .” She barked out a laugh at the stream of flirtatious messages she had read just 24 hours ago. “You flirted with me _constantly_ and now you suddenly ‘need to go.’” She wiped away her tears haphazardly with the back of her hand as she tried to ignore the concerned expression on Nicole’s face. Trying to clear her racing thoughts, she looked back to the darkened homestead. She thought of all of the people that helped her heal in her own short life, time after time, loss after loss; the way daddy picked up the pieces when mama left, or when Curtis and Gus kindly took her and Wynonna in, or when Wynonna came back from Argentina just so she could hold her as she sobbed while she mourned Curtis. None of them had pushed like she was doing right now, they had only cared. She laughed to herself as she caught sight of a pile of silver a few feet away, as if it was a sign from the universe. “You know what? I am not going to make you stay. I can’t. That’s not fair to either of us. Your keys are right there.”

She pointed to the pile of silver in the darkness before she stepped forward and placed a kiss onto Nicole’s tear stained cheek and backed away, hoping for a reaction that didn’t come. Finally, she turned around and walked slowly back to the homestead, leaving an aloof Nicole alone in the field. She felt every dream, every adventure: the hikes, the boat rides, the plane rides, the snowball fights, the casserole making, all fade away as she walked. She allowed herself to shed one final tear as she climbed the final step and reached for the door handle, stepping into her warm living room and flicking on the light.

She went to pull off her coat as she turned around to shut the door and jumped when a pair of warm brown eyes, glistening in the light, were looking softly down at her. She froze as Nicole timidly leaned down. Waverly could feel her feather light breath brush her lips, as if waiting for permission. She pulled back slightly and searched Nicole’s face for a moment, finding it unreadable but unable to ignore the ache in her chest, she leaned back in and closed the gap, kissing her forcefully, sending them both back a little. She felt Nicole laugh into her mouth at their stumble before her tongue pressed against the smile on Waverly’s face. She eagerly opened her mouth and flushed red when she released a quiet moan. Nicole reached helplessly down and pulled at Waverly’s shirt. Finding her warm skin, she smiled before she released her grasp and moved to take off her own coat, dropping it to the floor of the homestead all the while never breaking her frantic kisses. Waverly palmed at Nicole’s breasts before she gathered her senses, shifting their positions and lightly pushing NIcole further into the room. She allowed the feverish kisses to continue for a moment before she hastily broke off, right as Nicole firmly grasped her behind. She felt the loss of contact immediately as she turned around to shut the door and lock it behind her. Spinning back around, she faced a confused Nicole standing helplessly in her living room.

“Wha—” Nicole started before Waverly cut her off.

“No. I’m not going to have sex with you only to wake up in the morning and find you’ve taken off again. Sit down.”

Surprisingly, Nicole did as she was told. Waverly walked over and joined her on the couch, close enough she was within arm’s length but not so close that they were touching. She opened her mouth to speak but closed it quickly when she saw Nicole do the same.

“I’m… I met… When I was in Grand Junction I slept with someone.” She rushed out the end and looked away, not meeting Waverly’s gaze.

Waverly winced. After the day they had shared, this was not the conversation she thought she’d be having.

She tried her best to use her polite voice as she prodded. “Okay?”

“Her name was Lauren and she was a woman I met when she brought her dog in for a checkup at the clinic I was at. I didn’t even realize she was flirting with me until she left the office and the receptionist brought me her number. I wasn’t going to do anything with it but I went home that night and told Jer about our interactions and after he stopped laughing he told me I should text her. We met up for coffee Saturday morning and by Sunday night we had slept together. And then the same thing happened the next night, and the night aft—”

“Nicole?” Waverly cleared her throat before she continued. “Not that I’m not happy for you, but is there a point to this story.”

She shook her head. “Yeah, sorry. I’ll hurry. So after about three weeks, Lauren took me out to a nice restaurant. Dinner was great and conversation was pretty easy with her.” Noticing the look Waverly was giving her, Nicole shook her head and grabbed her hand. “I promise there is a point to this. Anyway, at the end of dinner she asked if I was seeing anyone else. I told her I wasn’t but I had a sinking feeling that I knew what was coming next.”

Waverly was pretty sure she knew what Nicole was about to say, that she wasn’t ready for a commitment and she sent Lauren packing, just like she was going to do right now with her.

“Nicole—” Waverly began but was cut off when Nicole persisted.

“She asked if I would be her girlfriend. But you know what?”

Waverly waited for her to finish her thought but when Nicole didn’t continue she quietly asked, “What, Nicole?”

“I had this really, really strong feeling I needed to come visit you. I tried so hard to forget about you.” Waverly looked down at her hand, Nicole had pulled it into her lap and was rubbing the back of it hand with her thumb. Nicole looked down at it and smiled. “You’re so hard to forget about, almost impossible. So I told Lauren I couldn’t do it and went home and told Jeremy when my internship finished I was coming up here.”

Waverly pulled her hand back and frowned when she saw Nicole’s face fall. “I don’t want to force you into something you’re not ready for.”

“Why’d you chase after me then?” Nicole laughed a humorless laugh. “You could have just let me go.”

Frustrated, Waverly stood up and began pacing. “Because I like you, you dummy!” She threw her hands in the air before she looked over. “Haven’t I made that clear enough?”

Nicole slowly nodded. “Yeah, you’ve been pretty clear.”  

“And do you like me? Because if not, you sure as hell know how to lead a girl on!” She said bitterly as she narrowed her eyes at Nicole.

“Of course I do!” Nicole said angrily as she stood up, remaining against the couch.

“I’m not going anywhere. Listen, I know you’re scared but I promise as long as you want, I’ll be by your side. I work in a bar in the middle of nowhere, for Christ’s sake! Where could I even go? It took me 23 years to leave the dang province!”

“Don’t do that.” Nicole said sternly.

Waverly stopped and looked over. “What?”

“Don’t talk like you’re not the most interesting person I’ve ever met.” Nicole walked quickly forward, reaching to pull Waverly close. Waverly sucked in a breath when their hips met. Nicole looked down and spoke softly. “Look, You scare me, you’re kind of a terrifying person,” She quickly corrected when she noticed Waverly shoot her a glare. “The good kind of terrifying, I promise.” She took a breath and quietly asked, “Waves, can I have another chance?”

“Are you going to run?” Waverly said as she rubbed Nicole’s back before reaching up and playing with the hairs at the base of her neck.

“If you keep doing that, no.” She said as her eyes slowly rolled back.

Waverly chuckled. “Who knew I just had to massage your scalp to get you to stay?”

Still clutching her tight, Nicole rested her head on Waverly’s shoulder. Waverly seized the opportunity to breathe in her scent as she cleared her thoughts.

“I promise I won’t run again.” She heard Nicole mutter against her shoulder before she looked back up and leaned in for a soft kiss. She pulled back long enough to breathe out, “I really like you,” before she leaned back in.

Waverly smiled against Nicole’s lips, reveling in their softness. There was something ineffable about being in Nicole’s presence. Her piercing eyes matched her vivid personality. Being in the same room with her was a joy, adding a brightness to her already bright life. Her brilliant mind and caring personality made conversations easy and fun. Touching her caused her skin to tingle with excitement. Kissing her magnified those thoughts.

Lost in her own thoughts, she wasn’t sure when they had stumbled back to her bedroom, but she laughed when she looked down and saw Nicole, now pantsless, climb atop of her on the bed.

“You hate pants, don’t you?” She said with a chuckle, gasping when she felt Nicole’s teeth on her neck.

She pulled back, sitting on Waverly’s hips she mischievously asked as she pointed to the ground, “I can put them back on if you want?”

Shaking her head, Waverly gripped the back of Nicole’s neck and pulled her back down. Nicole’s body felt clumsily on top of hers and they giggled for a moment before Waverly leaned up and nibbled on Nicole’s ear before she said, “No. I don’t think you’ll need them.”

____

Waverly watched as Nicole peacefully slept next to her. Sometime in the night Nicole had rolled away but still managed to keep a leg entwined with her own. Waverly appreciated the gesture, it was a subconscious reminder as she slept that Nicole was still there. Originally worried that Nicole would vanish in the night, once their bodies had physically connected, any lingering fear was washed away. They had made love repeatedly, finally stopping after hours of kisses, touches, moans and screams. It was 5:30 am now. Waverly wasn’t sure what had woken her, but she appreciated it because it brought her this calm moment, watching Nicole’s half smile as she slept. Or at least she thought she was asleep.

“How long are you going to watch me?” Nicole finally said as her half smile broke out into a fit of giggles.

“I thought you were asleep!” Waverly hit Nicole’s pillow before she gently cupped her cheek and smiled. After a moment of silence, she spoke up. “You’re gorgeous.”

Nicole’s smile lit up the room. She placed her hand atop Waverly’s, squeezing as she brought it down and then leaned forward for a kiss.

Guilt filled Nicole’s face as she stared at her from across the bed. “I’m so sorry I tried to run again.”

Waverly ran a foot soothingly up Nicole’s leg before she scooted closer and half hugged, half laid atop Nicole’s body. She pressed her naked body into Nicole’s and kissed her breastbone before mumbling into her chest, “It’s okay. I’m glad you came back.”

“Me too.” Nicole said as she pulled away slightly and kissed her temple before closing her eyes again.

Waverly lightly traced hearts over Nicole’s bare hipbone and watched as goosebumps erupted across her skin. She closed her own eyes and let the serenity she felt being in Nicole’s arms envelope her.

After a few minutes she quietly whispered, “I could get used to this.”

Her stomach flipped when Nicole whispered back, “I agree.”

____

“What the fuck!?” Wynonna yelled as she quickly shut the door and banged her head against it. “My eyes! I’ll never be able to see again!”

Waverly, naked atop Nicole, halted her grinding as she hollered back, “It’s your own damn fault for not knocking first.”

She looked back to Nicole, currently laying on her back with her hands on Waverly’s bare hips. Her face now contained a horrified expression, her beautiful pale skin now a shade redder than her hair. Waverly patted her chest reassuringly as she leaned down for a kiss, which Nicole happily obliged.

“Besides not locking your door, did you forget something when you were banging a hot redhead?” Wynonna yelled.

Waverly pulled away from the kiss and tilted her head in thought as she trailed her fingers around the curve under Nicole’s breast. Coming up blank, she yelled back, “No!” She giggled to herself as she watched Nicole shiver. “Go away, Wynonna.”

“Shorty called me.” Wynonna said from behind the door. “He was worried because in the five years you’ve worked there, you’ve never been late for a shift before. I can’t wait to tell him why.”

Ignoring Wynonna’s laughter from behind the door, Waverly quickly climbed off of Nicole and watched as she pouted a little at the loss. She remembered a moment too late that her leg was tangled in the sheets and lost her balance, sending her hurtling to the ground with a loud thud.

“Owww FUCK.” She said from the wood floor as she rubbed her forehead soothingly.

“Are you okay?” Nicole said as she shot up, tossing the blankets off of her body and exposing her own nakedness at the exact moment Wynonna ran into the room to investigate the commotion.

Nicole slapped an arm across her chest and stared for a moment before Wynonna charged forward.

“What did you do?” She growled as she tried to sidestep Waverly’s body.

Waverly popped up and used the hand not rubbing her forehead to push her sister back towards the open door. “Thank you for letting me know, Nonna. I’m so so sorry you had to come out here but I assure you, you don’t want to hear about anything Nicole did to me.”

Waverly quickly shut her bedroom door and sighed.

“Gross. It’s your fault if I have nightmares about what I just saw.” Wynonna said loudly before as she turned to walk down the hall. “I’m going back to work.”

Waverly heard the front door open and Wynonna yell, “Call Shorty,” before it slammed shut.

After taking a minute to recover from the fall and the embarrassment of having Wynonna walk in on her, she began frantically searching for her cell phone. Coming up empty, she looked pleadingly at Nicole. “Can I borrow yours? I need to call my boss.”

Nicole leaned down and picked up her jeans. Pulling out her iPhone, she handed it over before walking to her bag to pull on a pair of sweats, not bothering to put on any underwear. Waverly finished her call and subsequent apologies and worriedly looked back to Nicole.

“I— I have to go. I forgot I was working the opening shift today.” She mumbled as she watched Nicole’s abs disappear under a CSU t-shirt. She walked over to where she was standing and took her hand. Trying to push her worry away, she found herself asking the words that were on the tip of her tongue before she could stop herself. “Will you be here when I get back?”

Waverly assumed she would get hesitation from Nicole, but was pleasantly surprised when she muttered “of course,” before she leaned in and placed a searing kiss on her lips. She pulled back after a minute and patted her behind. “Now get dressed. I think your work uniform involves more clothes. I’ll be on the lookout for your phone.”

She rushed around her bedroom, throwing on her old Shorty’s t-shirt. In the excitement of the last few days, she had forgotten to wash her regular uniform and was now wearing an old red crop top that exposed most of her midriff. She threw on a pair of jeans and her leopard print coat and took off out the front door before she remembered what she forgot and ran back in to peck Nicole, who was currently sitting at the kitchen table nursing a cup of coffee, on the lips. She felt a flutter in her chest when Nicole handed her a to-go mug full of coffee. She leaned back in for another kiss before she took off again out the front door, with Nicole closely behind watching her from the front porch.

Once she got settled in her Jeep, she nervously fidgeted with her keys in the ignition. She kept looking up to make sure Nicole was still staring at her across the yard. Finally she successfully got the key in the ignition and turned it. As she quickly backed out of her old gravel driveway, she said a silent prayer that Nicole would still be there when she got back that night.

____

Her shift had crawled by up until the last few hours. Scheduled to be off at 8, the Friday night rush in Purgatory had derailed her plans and had kept her later than usual, and she found she couldn’t complain because she had showed up an hour and a half late that day. She was bouncing from table to table, politely taking food and drink orders and rushing back to drop them off in the kitchen or work the taps to fill the beer orders.

When she had the chance, she kept reaching under the bar to check her phone before she remembered she didn’t have it. She half hoped Nicole would’ve found it and brought it to her during the day, but there was no such luck. When it was slower, she had allowed herself to worry about whether Nicole would still be there when she returned, but now that work had picked up, she didn’t have time or the energy to worry herself with the idea.

As she climbed into her Jeep after eventually sneaking out during a lull in customers, she dropped her head on the steering wheel and took a deep breath in. She turned on the Jeep and sighed when it read 10:15. As she looked over to the gear shift, her eye caught a folded up note sitting on the passenger seat next to her that hadn’t been there when she ran into work earlier in the day. She opened it up and smiled when she saw it was written on a _Grand Junction Animal Hospital_ notepad.

> _Dear Waves,_
> 
> _I found this a few hours ago in my truck but it was dead so I charged it a little before I drove into town to give it to you. You were so busy and looked so stressed (but still beautiful) when I came in to the bar that I didn’t want to interrupt you. I was just going to take it back to your house with me but when I saw the Jeep I figured I’d leave it in here if it was unlocked. It was - Score. ;) It’s in the glovebox._
> 
> _-Nicole <3 _
> 
> _P.S. I’m excited to see you again so I can tell you in person how hot you look in your work uniform._
> 
> _P.P.S. Could you shoot me a text when you are on your way home?_

Waverly smiled as she leaned forward and grabbed the device. She unlocked it and scrolled through her notifications.

There were three missed calls and one voicemail from Shorty, ten missed calls and two voicemails from Wynonna who had also sent three texts about the “innocence her eyes had lost” followed by a “sleeping at Doc’s tonight.”

She shot Nicole a quick text, _on my way :*_ before she began her drive home, allowing excitement to fill her mind once again.

____

The house was dark when she pulled up. She had glanced down at her phone several times on her way, but hadn’t received a response. She took slight comfort in the fact that Nicole hadn’t read it, but couldn’t calm the nerves that had developed as she drove when she thought about possibly coming home to an abandoned house. She saw Nicole’s truck parked to the side and felt her face light up in a smile. Practically skipping to the front door, she pushed it open and smiled when she saw Nicole asleep on the old couch, phone laying face down on her chest.

She quietly hung up her coat before she walked over and leaned down, stroking Nicole’s red hair for a moment. As Nicole’s eyes fluttered open, Waverly leaned in and placed a chaste peck on her lips before Nicole yanked away and frantically sat up.

“No! Crap. You weren’t suppos…” She looked down at her phone and then back up to Waverly, who straightened her posture and looked down at her with confusion. “Can… Would you mind going outside for a minute?”

Waverly laughed. “You want me to go back out? It's cold out there.”

Nicole’s eyeballs darted to her right and she panicked when Waverly’s eyes followed suit. She hurried to stand up and pulled Waverly in for a passionate kiss, backing their bodies up to the front door as she slipped a tongue in her mouth. Waverly lost her train of thought, happily accepting the attention before she felt Nicole’s hand leave her hip and fumble at something next to her. She pulled away long enough to see a coat forced into her hand right before the door opened and she was pushed out into the darkness before it clicked shut again.

“You’re going to pay for that!” She yelled through the wood as she pulled the coat on.

She heard Nicole yell through the door, “I sure hope so,” and watched as lights went on around the house.

She stepped back and leaned into the railing as she looked down at herself. She yelled back, “And this isn’t even my coat. You gave me yours!” But immediately found she appreciated the gesture when she was hit with the vanilla dipped donut scent that was inexplicably Nicole.

After a short while, the lock to the front door clicked and she was hit with the light inside. Nicole was standing there, sheepish grin on her face as she walked forward and leaned down for a kiss.

“Sorry. Please come in.” Nicole said as she led them into the living room.

“Why thank you for inviting me into my own ho...ly shit Nicole.” She said as she was led towards her kitchen table. It was covered with a soft creme tablecloth. A large bouquet of rose and lilies sat in the middle, with two candles lit on either side. The table was set for two people, and wine was chilling in a bucket of ice on the counter. She glanced around and smiled when she saw there was lit tea lights littering the living room. When she looked back to Nicole, she felt a tear escape.

“You did all of this for me?”

“I’d do a lot of things to you.” Nicole said as she took the coat from Waverly’s shoulders and walked it back to the coat rack door.

“For—for me?”

“That too.” Nicole said with a wink as she walked forward and pulled out a chair, gesturing for Waverly to sit.

She pecked Nicole on the lips before she sat on the offered chair, smiling when Nicole pulled a chair out and joined her.

“So, I didn’t know what to make you because I didn’t know when you’d be back. But I picked up some frozen pizzas at the store, or some stuff to make a sandwich. I make a mean club.” Nicole raised an eyebrow in question as she finished her options.

“A sandwich?” Waverly asked, unsure if she was dreaming or if this was really her reality.

“Coming right up.” Nicole jumped up and moved towards the counter. “Wine, Beer, or Water?”

“I’d love a beer… Shoot, I don’t think we—” She was cut off when Nicole walked to the fridge and pulled out a craft IPA and popped the top off before walking back over and setting it down.

“How was your day?” She said charmingly with her head in the fridge rummaging around.

Attention focused on Nicole’s actions, and more specifically her butt in the jeans she had on, Waverly didn’t realize she had been asked a question until Nicole popped out from behind the fridge door.

Catching her in the act of staring, Nicole simply winked before she asked again, “How was your day?”

As Waverly launched into casual conversation with Nicole wandering about her kitchen, she felt her stomach flip unceremoniously. The last few days had been a weird concoction of exciting, fun, heartbreaking, emotionally draining, and passionate. She kicked her shoes off and placed her feet on Nicole’s lap as she heard about Nicole’s interactions with the flirty florist and the gruff butcher.

She fought with Nicole for clean up duty, eventually winning when she threatened Nicole with Wynonna. They cuddled on the couch for a little bit before it became a little more heated and they retreated back to Waverly’s bedroom, locking the door this time in case Wynonna decided to make an appearance.

Nicole, now in her usual underwear and t-shirt “pajama” combo, settled in behind Waverly two hours later, wrapping a strong arm around her small body. Waverly smiled as she was drifting off to sleep when she felt a kiss on her shoulder blade, finally allowing herself to completely relax into the idea that this could one day be her everyday life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully you don't hate me!
> 
> If you're going, have fun at Clexacon for me! If you're not, I hope you have an amazing week too!
> 
> See you all next week!


	13. Days One Eighty-Five to One Ninety-Two

**Day One Hundred and Eighty-Five**

Waverly laughed when Nicole rolled off of her and audibly sighed.

“God, Wave. That’s—I mean… Wow. Like, holy crap you’re good.”

She tried to hide the grin on her face. Rolling into Nicole’s side, she mumbled, “Thanks,” before pulling back and looking at the clock on the wall.

“I have to go. I work the early shift today.”

Waverly sat up, pausing to lean down and peck Nicole on the lips, silencing her dissatisfied groan. She tapped at Nicole's dopey grin with her finger before she climbed off of the bed and pulled on a robe, stopping at the door when Nicole sat up, pulling the blanket over her breasts and speaking up.

“Can I bring you lunch today?” Nicole asked, dimples on display.

Waverly stood there, panicked, as she thought. Wynonna had asked her out to lunch, wanting to check on her but unwilling to come to the homestead now that Nicole was around, had insisted they meet in town. Wynonna had been complaining incessantly since she walked in on them that she "could never unsee that horror" and "would need some time apart to heal." Waverly attributed it to her sister's usual comical dramatics and knowing she would be home soon, agreed to the request to meet at Shorty’s with a roll of her eyes. 

She hated that she still felt this way about Nicole; she had promised yesterday that she wouldn't run, but she couldn't still that little voice inside her mind that told her Nicole would bolt if given the chance. 

Quickly making a mental note to text Wynonna about moving lunch, she turned around. Offering her signature smile, she nodded as she said, “I’d love that!”

**Day One Hundred and Eighty-Seven**

After placing Earl's mug in front of him, she moved down the bar and shook her head as she approached Wynonna.

“Why are you cancelling on me this time, huh?” She said as she spun around lazily on the rickety bar stool. It groaned when she came to a stop and leaned forward, placing her hands on the old bar.

“Nonna, I’m so sorry. It’s just that new phase in our relationship right now, you know?”

“Waves, your face,” She gestured wildly in her general direction and continued, “Tells me she’s mind-blowingly good, but the fact that I haven’t seen you in forever is telling me I need to hate her.” She paused and leaned in to whisper, “Is she like… controlling you?”

Waverly’s shoulders slumped as she placed the rag down on the bar. She had postponed lunch with Wynonna every day, instead allowing Nicole to bring her food, pick her up something from the diner, or eat off of Shorty’s menu in a corner booth. To add to their lunch plans, if she worked the late shift, they’d eat breakfast together before she went in, if she worked the early shift, she’d then go home and eat dinner with Nicole. She loved the fact that Nicole was so eager to prove she was willing to stick around, but she hated that she was ignoring Wynonna.

“She’s great. I promise you she’s great.” She looked around to make sure no one needed any orders filled before she leaned her elbows on the bar. “She tried to run last week. The night before you caught us… you know?”

Wynonna winced. “Don’t remind me. Go on.”

“She tried to take off like she did in the Redwoods. Get in her car and drive off without a trace.” She whispered.

Wynonna’s face scrunched up in anger. Waverly reached across the bar and placed a calming hand on her forearm. 

“She came back. And she has not tried since that day. I just worry…” 

“That if you aren’t around she won’t stick around?” Wynonna finished for her.

She felt her eyes well up. She nodded as she felt a tear escape and run slowly down her cheek. “It’s just, so many people have left you know?”

“Waves.” Wynonna pleaded as she stood up and walked around the bar, just as Waverly broke down. 

She ignored Shorty’s disapproving glare from ten feet away and hollered, “I pay your mortgage,” before she gathered Waverly up in a strong hug.

“Let’s maybe take this to a back room.” She mumbled in Waverly’s ear before she pulled back and placed a quick kiss on her forehead.

Waverly allowed Wynonna to drag her down the hall and into the office, shutting the door behind them before she found herself sitting on the desktop, Wynonna in between her knees.

“Listen. I can’t speak for Red, especially because I kinda can’t stand her right now," She took a calming breath, softening her displeased expression. "But... I am not going anywhere.”

Waverly sniffled as she looked up, wiping away a stray tear. “But you did.”

She looked down, a guilty look on her face before she raised her head and met Waverly’s gaze again. “I did, yeah. But I came back. I came back for you.”

“She already came back for me once. What if she leaves and doesn’t come back again?” She grabbed a tissue off of Shorty’s desk and blew into it. “I really like her.”

“Waves, not to be rude, but you’re worth more than a piece of shit who would bail on you like that.”

She bristled at the comment. “She’s not a piece of shit, Wynonna.”

Wynonna poked her softly on the collarbone. “If she leaves you she is. But you can’t keep doing what you’re doing. I want to see you too.”

“You could come back home, you know. She doesn’t bite…” She thought back to their morning activities and smiled to herself before she corrected. “Well... she wouldn’t bite you.”

“Still gross.” Wynonna said as she shook her head. “If I come home will she be wearing clothes? She’s got a hot bod but I don’t want to see my roommate’s junk while I’m eating my snacks.”

Waverly laughed before she leaned around Wynonna and tossed her tissue into the trash. 

“I’ll make sure of it.”

“Okay, deal. Doc has been starting to drive me crazy. He cleaned out a drawer and told me to put my clothes in there. Can you believe that?”

Waverly tilted her head as she smiled, “That’s sweet.”

Wynonna scoffed. “Of course you'd take his side. I’ll tell you what I told him, they are perfectly fine on the floor.”

She laughed and leaned in for another hug, jumping when she heard a knock at the door.

“Sorry, Shorty! I’m coming.” Waverly hollered as she untangled herself from her sister and stood up off of the desk, wiping at her eyes one last time.

She heard a nervous chuckle followed by a voice that sent her heart aflutter. “It’s me. Shorty said you were back here.”

Waverly watched as Wynonna stiffened. She yelled out, “Be out in a minute,” before she leaned forward and enveloped her sister in a tight hug.

“I love you.” She said as she rubbed Wynonna’s back.

“I don’t like her.” Wynonna responded, none too quietly, as she turned her head to glare at the door.

“I do, so please try to be nice.” Waverly said as she pulled away from the embrace and stood up.

Wynonna simply grunted and moved for the door handle. She stopped to look back right before she opened it. 

“I love you too, Baby Girl.”

Wynonna left the office, ignoring Nicole's existence as she passed. She felt her heart flutter when Nicole stepped out of Wynonna's way and offered her a bright, dimple-studded smile as she looked into the office and greeted her.

“Hi cutie.”

“Hey you.” Waverly said as she strolled out, rubbing her hands up Nicole’s arms, reveling in the goosebumps that she left in her wake, before tangling her fingers in the hairs at the base of Nicole’s neck. She leaned in for a kiss before she pulled back and smiled. “You’re early.”

Eyes still closed from the kiss, a silly grin formed on her face before she eventually met Waverly’s gaze.

“You’re perfect.” Nicole breathed out.

Cheeks reddening, she hid her smile against Nicole’s heart for a moment before she pulled back and looked up. “You’re charming.”

“I’m serious. You’re absolutely amazing.” She leaned forward and placed another kiss on Waverly’s lips before she pulled back and led Waverly down the hall and back out into the bar. “I got you something.”

Waverly laughed as she followed. “What is it?”

Nicole sat Waverly down in what had become their usual booth. Sitting across from her, she proudly sat a bag down before she interlaced her fingers and leaned forward.

“Sorry it’s cold. I tried my best to get back here as quick as possible, but it’s just such a long drive.” 

Waverly gasped when she noticed the writing on the bag in front of her.

“Harvey’s? You didn’t!” She squealed as she ripped the bag off the table and opened it up. “Where did you go to get this? The closest restaurant is in Calgary! I was just talking about this! You are the most amazing girlfriend ever!”

“Girlfriend?” Nicole pulled her head back and raised her eyebrows.

Horrified, Waverly panicked. “Oh shit. We haven’t— I mean, I don’t want to—”

Nicole’s face relaxed as she laughed. “I’m just kidding. I may have texted Jer you were my girlfriend last night.” 

Noticing the relieved smile on Waverly’s face, she leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss on her lips. 

“Hopefully that’s not presumptuous?” Nicole asked with a curious look as she pulled back.

“Not at all. You’re so, so sweet.” Wanting contact, she rested a leg against Nicole’s calf under the table before she unwrapped her burger. “What were you doing in Calgary?”

Waverly watched as Nicole’s face flinched before she coolly responded, “Nothing too exciting. What were you and Wynonna up to?” 

Not wanting to divulge her insecurities, she deflected. “Troubles with Doc. I think she may come home. She asked if you’d be wearing clothes.”

“I always wear clothes!” Nicole exclaimed before she politely apologized to Virginia Smithfield, who had just shot her a glare from two tables over. Leaning forward she whispered, indignantly, “It’s your fault when I’m not!”

Waverly raised a disbelieving eyebrow as she trailed her middle finger up and down Nicole’s forearm. “Do you want me to apologize for that?”

Nicole sighed, dropping her head to the table, she mumbled,. “No.”

Having heard perfectly fine, Waverly smirked as she asked, “What was that? I didn’t catch it.” 

Nicole narrowed her eyes as she lifted her head. 

“No.” She looked down at Waverly’s hand on her arm. “When are you off again?”

She chuckled. “I work a double. So I won’t be home until 3ish.”

“Dang.” There was a moment of silence before she spoke up. “Do you have anything you need done around the house, then?”

Waverly froze as she was pulling her hand back to grab her burger. 

“What?” She asked, confused.

“Is there anything I can do? I’m pretty good with my hands—” Nicole persisted, disapprovingly shaking her head when Waverly opened her mouth to respond, with a devilish smirk on her face and a waggle of her eyebrows. “In numerous ways.” Nicole winked as she continued. “But my dad taught me how to fix a car, use power tools, work with electrical. Growing up, I spent a lot of time at Home Depot.” She laughed to herself. “God. It’s like he knew I was a lesbian. I’ve never realized that before.”

“Huh?” Waverly asked through a mouthful of hamburger.

“It’s a stereotype. I take them with a grain of salt, but if I’m being honest, a lot of the women I’ve dated have been pretty good with their hands.” She rolled her eyes as Waverly snickered. “Stop it.”

Waverly put down her burger and wiped her hands on a napkin.

“Am I good with my hands?” She asked with a blush, unwilling to look Nicole in the eye.

There was a long moment of silence. Worried she shouldn’t have asked, she finally looked up and immediately got lost in the bright brown eyes staring at her, clearly waiting for her attention.

“The best.” Nicole finally said, no hesitation whatsoever, as she took her hand and kissed the back of it.

**Day One Hundred and Ninety**

“She’s eating all of my snacks.” Wynonna complained loudly as she placed her feet up on the chair next to her and shoved a handful of cheese puffs into her mouth. “When is she actually going to start contributing around here!?”

Waverly rolled her eyes as she walked over, carefully carrying the pot of spaghetti sauce she had just pulled off of the stove. 

“There are so many things wrong with that statement." She said as she set the pot down. Popping out her pointer finger, she began counting. "One, _you_ don’t contribute. Two, she's been doing everything around here. Notice the faucet stopped leaking? Or the weeded planter boxes out front? She did that. And three, she bought these." Waverly finished as she yanked the bag out of her sister's hands, folding it and placing it back above the fridge.

“Get your feet off of the furniture.” Waverly pushed her Wynonna’s feet off of the old wood as she walked by and mumbled, “I’m going to go see if Nicole’s ready.”

She walked into her room and felt her stomach warmly flip at the sight. Nicole was still sprawled out on her stomach, one arm under a pillow as her other laid near Waverly’s side of the bed, and her red hair was splayed across the smooth fabric. Waverly watched her chest slowly rise and fall, appreciating the sight before she glided forward and sat next to her. She softly placed her hand on her back and rubbed. Nicole’s eyes fluttered open and grinned when she noticed Waverly looking down on her.

“Good morning, sweetie pie.” Waverly said as she dipped down and pecked Nicole’s cheek. She laughed at the pout that formed on her face as she puckered her lips, waiting for Waverly to try the kiss again. After placing another kiss on her lips, she pulled back. “Dinner’s ready. I made spaghetti, are you hungry?”

Nicole slowly sat up and frowned. “I was going to help you with that.”

She had wanted to wake Nicole up, walking in a few minutes after Nicole had finished showering, intent on asking for her help. But when she saw her on her back with her eyes closed, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Nicole had spent the entire morning working on her Jeep and her afternoon cleaning up around the yard.

She tucked a strand of stray hair behind Nicole’s ear before she spoke again. “Yeah, but I couldn’t bring myself to wake you. I made Wynonna help instead.”

Nicole’s eyebrows shot up as her body tensed.

“Wy—Wynonna’s home tonight?” She sputtered out.

Waverly winced as she responded. “Yeah, she’s joining us for dinner.”

She knew the tension between her sister and her girlfriend had only grown since she had confessed in the bar that Nicole had tried to bail. Still unconvinced that Nicole was going to stay herself, she tried her best to re-explain Nicole’s point of view and that not everyone handled loss in the same way that Earp’s did. Still skeptical, Wynonna had been throwing jabs at Nicole, effectively testing her commitment. 

Waverly counted herself lucky as Wynonna had not completely come back home yet, instead popping in sporadically to eat, shower, chat with Waverly, and occasionally sleep. She hoped by the time Wynonna was back full time that things would be more civil, but so far it was still looking grim.

“Okay.” Nicole climbed off of the bed around Waverly. Reaching for her hand, she pulled her up. 

Waverly’s breath caught in her throat when Nicole pulled her flush against her body. “But first…” She mumbled before she leaned down and kissed Waverly with the heartwarming passion that still left her stunned.

**Day One Hundred and Ninety-One**

“Don’t touch that.” Waverly chided as she walked back to the oven to turn the timer off.

Nicole threw out a lip and bowed her head, trying her best to convey a pout.

“Please.” She whined as her hand hovered over the cookies.

“No, they need to cool.” She grabbed Nicole’s hand and led her back to the couch.

She patted her thighs and smiled when Nicole obeyed, putting her feet up in Waverly’s lap.

“How was your day?” Waverly asked as she rubbed Nicole’s feet.

Nicole set the beer she had in her hand down on the coffee table as she spoke. “Good. I went into town and grabbed some flowers and plants for the garden boxes outside. Ran into your Sherriff. Nedley, I believe his name was.”

“Yeah, Nedley. Did he give you a hard time?” Waverly asked as she rubbed at Nicole’s ankle.

“No, he just asked how I liked Purgatory. Seemed like a nice guy. Kind of standoffish, though. But what about your day? How was work?”

“It was good. Went by quick. Wynonna and I went to Ray’s Diner for lunch.”

“Did you get the pecan pie? I’m still not over it.” Nicole said dreamily as her body relaxed into Waverly’s touch.

“No, I tried though. I guess Ray said she only makes it on the weekends.”

“We are going to have to go this weekend then. I can’t stop thinking about it.” Nicole sighed as she pulled her feet back and placed her toes under Waverly’s thigh.

“I can’t believe I’m jealous of a pie.” Waverly shook her head as she watched Nicole look off into the distance.

Nicole maneuvered onto her knees and hovered over Waverly’s ear. She felt a shiver when warm breath hit her ear, whispering, “Well if I was going to choose my favorite dessert…”

“Yeah?” Waverly prodded as she tried to ignore the warmth low in her stomach.

“I’d have to say it was cookies.” Nicole said loudly with an evil laugh as she jumped up and ran to the kitchen, escaping Waverly’s desperate attempts to stop her.

**Day One Hundred and Ninety-Two**

“I knew you would leave!” She sobbed as she walked away, needing out of the confinements of her ever-shrinking bedroom.

After cooking a dinner of salmon and roasted vegetables, sipping wine as they talked leisurely about their days, they had moved into the bedroom. While slowly kissing down Waverly’s throat, Nicole had announced she had gotten a job at an animal hospital. The move had thrown a bucket of ice water on the moment for Waverly. Squirming away from Nicole’s touch, she backed her half naked body up to the headboard and wrapped a protective arm around herself, to interrogate her.

“I’m not leaving. I just got a job. In Calgary. You know, just a few hours away.” Nicole tried to reason as she slowly caught up to the shift in atmosphere.

Waverly scoffed as she leaned down and picked her shirt up off of the floor, not bothering to put on a bra. “You were at an interview, weren’t you?”

“What?” Nicole, still calm, asked.

She stood up and buttoned her jeans. “That’s why you brought me back Harvey’s. You were in Calgary for an interview.”

Confused, Nicole pleaded as she threw her legs over the bed and reached for Waverly. “I thought you’d be excited about this.”

Backing away from Nicole’s grip, she moved towards the door. “How can I be when you’re leaving again? When you just barely promised you wouldn’t!?”

“I’m not leaving.” She clapped her hands against her bare thighs and stood up, following after Waverly who had left the room. “And it’s not like I’m the only one keeping secrets. Why were you crying with Wynonna?”

Not breaking her pace, Waverly shot Nicole a glare over her shoulder.

“What do you mean?” She tried to feign ignorance as she grabbed her keys and turned around.

“You’re a horrible liar.” Nicole laughed humorlessly. “That day I brought you the burger, I saw your puffy eyes and figured you’d been crying. That’s why I didn’t tell you about the interview. I didn’t want to upset you.”

Waverly felt anger and disgust hit her like a freight train.  

“So you kept it from me?” She yelled. “Why? To punish me for not telling you that I had been crying?” She charged forward to Nicole, standing at the end of the hallway. She balled her fists as she tried to keep her tears at bay.

“No. If you’d just listen to me I’d ex—” Nicole bit out before Waverly interrupted.

“I don’t need your explanations. I’m leaving.” She turned and walked back to the door.

Nicole followed this time, feeling the rush of cold air on her bare legs as the front door opened.

“You don’t get to do that.” Nicole said bitterly.

Waverly slammed the door shut and tossed her keys on the kitchen table before stalking forward.

“Do what?” Waverly asked with a bite to her tone. 

Nicole shook her head as she approached. “Run away.”

“Oh  _ that’s _ rich.” She barked out a laugh and stepped directly in front of Nicole, anger coursing through her small frame.

“This isn’t my home!” Nicole said furiously as she looked down. “If anyone’s leaving it shoul—”

She was cut off when Waverly closed the gap, kissing her fiercely. Nicole, stunned, caught up after a moment and soon began returning the kisses before taking the bottom of Waverly’s shirt, and pulling it back off of her head. 

 

She gasped when Nicole bit down on her neck before soothing it with her tongue. Pulling off her jeans, jumping on one foot when a leg got stuck, Waverly guided them slowly around the living room before Nicole eventually stumbled onto the couch, pulling Waverly down with her.

_______

Coming down from their high, they were now on the couch, naked under a blanket. Waverly, tucked against Nicole’s side, traced a heart over her right breast.

“Calgary?” Waverly asked, interrupting the tranquility of the moment.

Nicole sighed before continuing. “I’m sorry. It was the closest place I could find around here that was willing to hire a vet with no experience.” She began stroking Waverly’s back with the tips of her fingers as she continued. “Maybe it’s good that it’s a little bit further away. This is… new. And, I don’t want to speak for you, but it’s a little intense.”

Waverly looked away and began tracing the lines of Nicole’s abdominal muscles.

“Intense, good?” She softly prodded. “Or the kind where you’re just looking for a reason to escape?”

Nicole used her free hand to tilt Waverly’s chin up. She leaned down and kissed her softly before she rested her forehead against Waverly’s.

“Intense great.” She sighed and looked down again. “Hey, Waves?”

“If I ask you a question will you be honest with me?”

“Yeah…” She trailed off as she worried over the question.

“Are you still worried I’m going to leave?”

She thought about lying, saying there was no lingering doubt. She was surprised when she opened her mouth and found herself saying, “Constantly.”

“I won’t. I promise you I won’t. Well, as long as we’re doing this I won’t.”

Waverly laughed. “Having sex?”

“No.” Nicole shook her head as she felt Waverly’s body move against hers. She waited until she stilled before she continued. “No. Like, you know, this. Us. I like you. You’re so smart. And stunning. And strong. And I like how I feel around you.” She scrunched up her face is displeasure before she added, “God, that was so ineloquent.”

Nicole began laughing at herself but froze when she felt Waverly throw a leg over her hips and sit up, straddling her. Her eyes widened when Waverly leaned down and started placing kisses around her collarbone and up her neck.

Waverly stopped when she got to her chin and pulled away long enough to say, “I thought it was beautiful, just like you,” before she leaned down and kissed Nicole with all of the passion she felt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed. Thanks for reading! And thanks for any comments and kudos! You all make this so worthwhile.
> 
> P.S. I'm jealous of any of you that went to Clexacon last week! Looked amazing! The fomo was real.
> 
> P.P.S. I'm on Twitter but I'm awkward (I like to think its adorable but sometimes my friends disagree) and don't know how to find you all... BUT, if you wanna stop by and say hi I'd appreciate it! That way if I make it to CC next year I'll know some of you! You can find me here: @holyshihtzu4
> 
> P.P.P.S. Thanks to my beta BNNXP. She's the best.


	14. Days One Ninety-Three to Two Thirty-Two

**Day One Hundred and Ninety-Three**   
  
“So you finally got a job.” Wynonna said curtly as she leaned against the counter, legs crossed, boring daggers into Nicole. She slowly lifted her mug to her mouth and took a long drink, never looking away.    
  
Nicole gulped and chanced a glance down the small hallway to Waverly’s bedroom, desperately pleading for her to finish changing quickly, before she responded. “Yeah, I’m going to be working at an animal hospital in Calgary.”   
  
“Hm.” She simply replied as she looked Nicole up and down.   
  
She felt her nerves build, nervously rubbing her thigh as her other foot bounced wildly against the wood floor. “Yeah, I—I wanted something closer but I didn’t want to put any pressure on our relationship because it, it’s so new. Uh, there really wasn’t anything closer either. I did find a job about 45 minutes away but they needed an experienced vet and told me to come back in a year or two.”   
  
When Nicole finished she subtly shook her head, internally chastised herself for rambling. Wynonna had not been her biggest fan, constantly making snide remarks, sometimes when Waverly was around, but usually when she wasn’t. Nicole constantly felt like she was walking on eggshells, especially with their first official fight under their belt since they had become a couple. She was doing everything she knew how to make a good impression, aware that her penchant for rambling when nervous was a weakness Wynonna probably wouldn’t appreciate. She understood Wynonna’s reasoning for the scare tactics, she too cared deeply for Waverly and Nicole knew she would also do the same thing to anyone that had wronged Waverly like she had. If she was honest with herself, she was even a little jealous that Waverly had family that loved her so deeply that they were willing to scare the shit out of potential suitors.    
  
Wynonna uncrossed her legs and walked forward. She sat purposefully down and eyed Nicole suspiciously before she responded.    
  
“Listen, Runaway Bride.” She shifted in her seat so she could poke Nicole on the collar bone before continuing, “I don’t trust you. But my baby sister does, and I trust her, so I’m trying. Don’t fuck it up.”   
  
Nicole nodded aggressively, feigning a smile until a real one appeared when she heard light footsteps pad down the hallway.    
  
“Nonna, stop scaring Nicole.” Waverly said as she entered the room breezily, carrying a pair of socks and walking to her tennis shoes, gliding by without a glance to the pair sitting at the table.   
  
Nicole’s brain, initially relieved from the sight of her girlfriend, short-circuited as she watched her smooth movements cross the room. After spending the last few weeks lounging together on the couch, Waverly had decided they were going to start exercising together in the mornings. Nicole had dug through the bottom of her duffel, pulling out her pair of running shorts she hadn’t worn in months and paired it with a pullover she frequently wore hiking and left the bedroom while Waverly finished brushing her teeth. She had been sitting quietly at the kitchen table reading a book on her phone until Wynonna walked in the room and began her interrogation. Now, almost ready to go after changing, Waverly was wearing a pair of tiny skin tight spandex shorts, that sat just below the curve of her butt, and a sports bra.   
  
Nicole took a drink from her metal water bottle and choked on it as Waverly carefully slipped her feet into her running shoes by the door before bending over to lace them.  
  
“Waves, I can see your ass.” Wynonna said as she stood up and moved towards the cabinets, pulling out a bowl and heading to another for some cereal.   
  
Waverly rolled her eyes as she carefully tied her shoes before standing up and looking at Nicole. 

“Ready, babe?”   
  
Nicole, distracted by the long tanned skin in front of her, missed the question, frozen in thought as Wynonna sat down across from her and pulled a Cheerio out of her bowl. 

Looking at Waverly, Wynonna wagered, “100 points if I hit her nose, 50 for the face..” She tossed the Cheerio she was holding, pumping her fist when she hit her right on the nose. “Score! 100 points!”   
  
Nicole shook her head as she was snapped out of her trance. “Sorry, what?”   
  
“Let’s go.” Waverly snickered as she walked over and pulled Nicole up by the hand, guiding them towards the front door. 

“Bye, Wynonna.” Nicole said distractedly with a half-hearted wave as she followed Waverly out of the house.

 

  
**Day Two Hundred**   
  
“Thanks for letting me sleep on your couch.” Nicole tossed her duffel in a corner and walked further into Rosita’s living room. “I had an apartment almost secured but it was gone before I got back up here to finish everything so I have to start looking again.”   
  
“It’s not a problem. I’m not here much anyway. Help yourself to whatever you want.” Rosita walked back to the kitchen and grabbed an opened bottle of wine from the fridge. She popped out from around the corner and shook it a little with a grin. “Want some?”    
  
Nicole dimples appeared with her smile. “That’d be great, yeah.”

Rosita moved back into the kitchen and began opening cabinets while Nicole took a seat and pulled her phone out of her pocket. Her heart fluttered when she saw an unread message from Waverly, which she must have received on her drive back from Purgatory. 

> _ Waverly; 9:38 pm: I wish you were in my bed right now. _

  
Rosita carefully poured two glasses and walked back into the room before placing one in front of Nicole.   
  
“I’m going drinking with some friends tomorrow night. Care to join me?” She asked after settling in the chair a few feet away.   
  
“I can’t. Heading back up to Purgatory.” Nicole responded offhandedly while typing out a reply, trying to hide her smirk.   
  
Rosita stiffened, clutching her glass of wine a little tighter. “Oh yeah, that. How’s that going?”   
  
Nicole’s eyes shot up when a picture came through of Waverly lying in bed, wearing her old shirt she swiped from her bag before she finished packing. Hurriedly locked her phone, she looked up and met Rosita’s gaze.    
  
“Amazing. Waverly is… something.” She chuckled and picked up the glass in front of her and tipped it towards Rosita. “Thanks for this.”   
  
She nodded as she finished her sip before her face scrunched up in confusion. “Huh. I kind of thought since you were coming down here for work that it might be over.”   
  
“No. I mean,” Nicole thought for a moment about how much she was willing to share before she continued. “I think you know I went up to see her? And not in a platonic way.”   
  
“Yeah.”    
  
“Well, she’s kind of my girlfriend now.”   
  
Rosita raised her eyebrow with another sip.   
  
“She’s totally my girlfriend.” She smiled brightly, proud of the established title.    
  
“Oh. Good for you. She’s—she’s great.” 

Nicole tried to overlook the awkward tone as she continued. “Yeah. I know it’s probably a little weird for you, but I promise you I was coming up here to see her before I even found out that you had dated her.”   
  
Rosita grimaced as she shuffled in her seat. 

“It’s not a big deal.” She said with dismissive wave.   
  
Finally giving in, Nicole narrowed her eyes as she set her wine glass back down. “Are you sure? Because you’re acting weird about it again.”   
  
“No, it’s nothing. I promise. I’m happy for you.”

Nicole sat up straighter and leaned purposely forward. Placing her elbows on her knees, she linked her fingers together and used her best stern voice. “Rosie. What is it?”

There was a moment of silence before Rosita sighed and put her wine glass down.

“I’m sorry I was terrible to you two.” She said quietly as she looked at her palms. “I’ve been meaning to say that for awhile now.”

“Okay?” Nicole said, waiting for the rest.

“Things in Calgary have been… weird.” She shifted in her seat as she began picking mindlessly at the edge of the armrest. “Waverly was the first person here that I dated that I had a real connection with. Not physical… well physically it was gr—” She looked over and grimaced. “It was fine. It was more emotional than anything. She’s so dang smart, she can hold her own in a conversation, but is also a great listener. When we broke up I was really worried that I had lost the first real friend I’d made up here. It took a little bit before we started talking again, but when we did, I was so relieved.” 

She trailed off for a moment. Nicole felt her phone vibrate in her lap, and set the device to the side as Rosita continued. “We didn’t ever talk much about the woman that left her in the woods, but I had gathered pieces of info from her about you. She was devastated when you left her, you know. Devastated.”

“Really?” Nicole’s face fell when she thought back to that night when she grabbed her things and ran.

“Yeah. And when I put together that you were the one that ditched her, I was pissed. Obviously.” Nicole nodded as Rosita continued. “She’s a hard person to not care for, Nicole.”

She shook her head with a humorless laugh as she finally spoke up. “Trust me. I know.”

“So, needless to say, I didn’t like that this person I cared for had been hurt by you. It wasn’t until we went out to lunch the day you had your interview that I realized why you left her.”

“But you were still weird about us that day.”

“Yeah... well, sometimes a girl needs a little time to process, you know? But.... for what it’s worth, I’m so, so sorry Nicole.”

“It’s okay.” They sat in an uncomfortable silence for a few seconds as Nicole allowed her thoughts to catch up to the conversation. Adding as an afterthought, she spoke again. “I’m glad you were around for her.”

Rosita smiled as she stifled a yawn, glancing at the clock across the room. “I know it may seem like it, but I promise you I’m not saying this to get out of this conversation. I have a work meeting at 7 am so I’m going to head to bed. Are we good?”

Nicole felt the couch cushion vibrate once more before she stood and walked over to Rosita with her arms out. “Yeah we’re good. Bring it in, Homer.”

Rosita faked a gag as she stood. “You haven’t called me that in years. I forgot how much I hate it.”

Nicole dropped her arms dramatically, and threw a hand to her chest. “How dare you. You said you loved it.”

Rosita enveloped Nicole tightly in a hug, trapping her hand awkwardly as she mumbled, “One time! And I was drunk,  _ Peaches _ .”

Nicole gasped as she pulled away. “You promised you’d never bring that up again.”

“To anyone else. I promised to not tell  _ anyone else _ . But I can still mock you.”

They laughed for a minute before Nicole composed herself and rubbed Rosita’s arm. “Rosie, thanks for letting me stay.”

She nodded and leaned down to grab their wine glasses. “Of course. Goodnight, Nicole.”

  
  
**Day Two Hundred and Sixteen**   
  
"I like it." Waverly said with a forced smile as she leaned against the marble countertop and folded her arms.   
  
"Yeah." Nicole nervously bit to her bottom lip as she mirrored the action against the old fridge.   
  
Waverly looked down as she crossed her legs. "Well, it's your place so my opinion doesn't really matter now, does it?"   
  
"I care, though. Plus, I haven't had a home in a while now... A long, long time, actually. So tell me what you really think."   
  
"It looks great to me, but why a house?" Waverly hadn't expected the four-bedroom country cottage she pulled up to a half hour ago. "I guess I didn't expect you to buy so soon, I thought that you’d maybe rent."   
  
Nicole laughed. "Well, I haven't bought it yet. But I want a dog and I need a yard for that."   
  
"How many dogs do you plan on getting?" She mumbled, loud enough for Nicole to hear.   
  
"What do you mean?" She tilted her head adorably.   
  
Waverly gestured to the staircase down the hall. "It's got four bedrooms, baby. That’s a lot of dogs."   
  
"I know it’s big but this far out of the city, most homes are all this size."   
  
Waverly uncrossed her body and moved forward, grabbing Nicole’s fingers and playing with them as she spoke bashfully. "Do you really want to be 45 minutes outside of Calgary?"   
  
Nicole’s dimples appeared with her smile. "Well, I thought this would be nice because it's 45 minutes closer to you."   
  
Waverly trailed her hands up Nicole’s arms and rested them on her shoulders, fidgeting with the collar of her red flannel. "That’s so sweet, baby. Winters here are terrible, though. I’d rather have you closer to work so I don’t have to worry about you commuting."   
  
"Oh." Nicole looked down the long hallway.  
  
"Yeah, oh." She leaned forward and placed a kiss on Nicole’s turned cheek before she grabbed Nicole’s hand again and squeezed. “Ultimately, If you want to buy, I’ll support you in whatever decision. But maybe we should go back and look at that condo you told me about in Calgary.”   
  
“You’re probably right. I should call my realtor.” Nicole sighed and picked up her phone. “I can wait to get a dog. I’m not home most of the time anyway.”    
  
She quickly hit dial and pecked Waverly’s lips before she slipped out of her grip and walked down the hall. Waverly felt her heart sink as she heard a dejected Nicole speak into the phone, “Hi, Angie. Can I go look at that condo again?”

She quickly typed out a message to Wynonna as Nicole paced around the room as she spoke into the phone.

> _ Waverly; 9:38 pm: Are you allergic to dogs? _

 

**Day Two Hundred and Twenty-Three**

Waverly slammed the front door to the homestead shut and tossed her purse hard against the sofa as she stormed through the house.

She loudly mumbled her whole way down the hall, still furious about her terrible day.

It had started out pleasant enough, waking up early to send Nicole, who had to work for the next few days, off with something to remember her by, but nothing had gone her way since then. 

After getting ready for her shift, she walked out to her Jeep to find she had a flat tire. A resourceful woman, she quickly changed it but had to run back inside to change clothes, which had gotten dirt and grease on them. She hurriedly dug through her closet before remembering the only clean Shorty’s shirt she had was the one that was much too tight and left little to the imagination. When she was single, she didn’t mind the extra attention and extra tips the shirt brought, but whenever she was in a relationship, she avoided wearing it. As she slipped it on, she tried her best to cover as much skin as possible and walked out the door hoping no one would notice. She was not so lucky. She was hit on incessantly by a group of college boys that had stopped in for a bite on their way through Purgatory. At first laughing it off, she quickly became frustrated at the inappropriate comments, eventually sending Shorty over to finish their ticket as she did her best to avoid their winks and whistles. Later, a beer tap burst, spraying her with liquid. As she was quickly toweling off, Champ sauntered over, insisting that he missed her and could “ _ show her a good time _ ,” which he said as he stared at her soaked cleavage. She poked him hard in the chest, so hard that her finger hurt for hours after, and said that she’d “ _ put a foot up his ass _ ” if he didn’t look her in the eye when he talked to her before she turned around and stormed off on an impromptu break. After she collected herself, she came back out to a slightly busier bar and tried to put on a happy face, but couldn’t ever shake the anger that she had bubbling under the surface, especially as the crowd grew and the bar filled to capacity. When a customer yelled at her later after the woman was unable to find a close parking spot outside, Waverly smiled politely and nodded her head before excusing herself and walking out the back door to have an angry cry. The second her shift ended, she jumped in her Jeep and sped the whole way home, listening to rock music over the radio and singing at the top of her lungs.

Marching through the door frame of her bedroom, she cursed when she kicked her running sneakers that she had left in the middle of the room the day before.

“Frickin shitstrumpets.”

She bent over and picked up the shoes, tossing them towards her closet before she began cleaning up her room.

“Got your panties in a knot, baby girl?”

Waverly looked up from the clothes she was throwing into the hamper and was met with Wynonna’s head, peering into the room from the side of the door frame, body hidden.

“Leave me alone, Nonna. I am  _ so _ not happy right now.” She looked back down and grabbed her running shorts, chucking them directly into the basket with the rest of her dirty laundry.

“I gathered that.” Wynonna leaned in a little further, sliding more into view. “Wanna talk about it?”

“No.” She snapped as she finished picking up her clothes and walked over to the now full basket, intent on starting her laundry.

“Mmkay.” Wynonna said suspiciously, body still half hidden. “Did you happen to tell Runaway Bride that you were grumpy?”

Waverly whipped around and narrowed her eyes. “If you don’t stop being an ass to her she wi—”

She was cut off when Wynonna finally fully appeared, walking into the room with a huge bouquet of yellow, orange, and pink tulips. “Okay, tiny Hulk. If you want to take your misplaced anger out on me, that’s fine. But, I thought you’d want to see what was sitting on the doorstep when I got home earlier.”

Waverly carefully walked forward and took the vase from her sister, setting it down on her nightstand before grabbing the card and sitting on the edge of her bed.

Nicole had been silent all day. Waverly had called on her first break, hoping to talk to her girlfriend about her shitty day, but was met with her voicemail. She left a simple, “ _ Call me if you get a few _ ,” before she put her phone back in her back pocket and went back to work. After she collected herself from her angry cry, she sent a text that said, “Did you get my message?” and waited a few minutes before she went back to work. She hadn’t checked her phone since then, leaving work so angry that she forgot to even bother.

She opened the card and patted the bed for her sister to join her as she read its contents.

_ “I hope you had a good day.” _

She laughed at the unintended satire of the card before she placed it back in the envelope and handed it to her sister to set on the table.

“It wasn’t a good day, Wy.”

Wynonna’s strong arm wrapped around her shoulders, as she leaned over and kissed her temple. “You’ll get ‘em tomorrow, Waves.”

She chuckled and looked into her sister’s eyes. “What does that even mean?”

Wynonna smirked.  “I don’t know, but it seemed inspirational.” She paused for a moment before her expression turned serious. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“No, it was nothing. Just a hard day, I guess. But it’s okay now.”

“Good, I’m glad.” Wynonna placed her hands on her knees before she stood. “Hey, want pizza for dinner? We can watch Jersey Shore and eat carbs.”

Waverly nodded excitedly and thanked her sister, who quietly left the room. She took a moment to breathe before she stood up and pulled her phone out of her back pocket.

Unlocking it, she found she had two missed calls, two voicemails and a text.

She listened to the voicemails first, smiling when Nicole’s perky voice filled her ear.

“Hey, Waves. I had two seconds to check my phone in between surgeries and clinic today. I saw you called but couldn’t listen to anything. I actually haven’t even listened to yours yet, I was hoping to talk to you first but hearing your voice on voicemail will work too. I’ll check that now. Bye baby.” 

“Hey babe, I got your voicemail… you seem sad. Is everything okay? Call me when you get this, ‘kay? Oh, and did you get the flowers I sent? I ordered them this morning on my way to work and the florist said they wouldn’t be there until 5:00. I know you’re not off until 7:00 pm so I hope you got them before the deer did. Hope you’re okay. Call me.”

Opening her texts, she laughed when she was met with a Boomerang of Nicole winking as she blew her a kiss. 

Quickly dialing her girlfriend’s number, she anxiously sat through three rings before a “Hey, baby,” on the other end of the line melted away any lingering anger.

  
  
**Day Two Hundred and Thirty-Two**   
  
“Hey, baby!”   
  
“I need to talk with you.” Waverly rushed out into the phone, bypassing their usual playful greetings.   
  
“Okay, I’m all ears.” Nicole said happily.    
  
Waverly missed hearing that voice in person. It had been four days since she’d seen Nicole, the last time being when she carefully pried herself out of Nicole’s grasp last Sunday morning so she could go into work. She’d stopped for a quick kiss and giggled wildly when she was dragged into bed for ten more minutes spent on top of Nicole’s chest, smiling as she played with the ends of red hair before she insisted she really had to go. Every day since that morning, she knew in her mind that she needed to get this out of the way, but knew she wanted to do it in person.   
  
“No. Not like this.” She moved her hair out of her eyes and began pacing. “Can we do dinner tonight?”   
  
Nicole paused. “Baby. I can’t come up this weekend, remember? I’m the on-call vet.”   
  
Waverly rolled her eyes. “Yeah. I remember. I’ll drive to you.”   
  
Of course she remembered, she was a planner.    
  
There was another short pause before she heard Nicole ask, “Are you okay, babe?”   
  
“Just dandy. Dinner at your place at… what time are you normally off?”   
  
“Waves, can you please tell me what’s going on?” Nicole pleaded into the phone, as she became more desperate.   
  
Waverly felt horrible, she was sure her tone wasn’t reassuring, but she was nervous and knew she wanted to do it in person.   
  
“Everything’s fine, baby. And if you stop giving me the third degree I’ll let you pick whatever sushi rolls you want for dinner.”   
  
Nicole gasped. “But you  _ never _ let me pick.”   
  
“I know because your choices are terrible.” Waverly said as she walked out from the back room at work and pulled on her half apron.   
  
“Heyyyyy.” Nicole whined into the phone.   
  
“It’s true.” She waved off a customer, eagerly seeking her attention before she had officially started her shift, and focused back on the call. “And if you’re still that offended, I promise will make it up to you tonight.”   
  
“Mean it?”   
  
“Yeah. Promise.” She said with a smile.   
  
“I’m off at 6 pm.”   


“Okay. I work the late shift but I convinced Abby to cover the last half for me so I’ll be there by 11.”   


“Sounds great, babe. Drive safe. And text me when you hit the road, please.”   
  
“Will do. Have a good day, baby.” Waverly finished, putting her phone down and looking up, surprised when she was met with familiar brown eyes.   
  
“You two are gross.” Chrissy said as she pulled out a stool and sat down.   
  
“You don’t mean that.” Waverly said as she walked over and grabbed a beer mug, holding out forward in a silent question.   
  
“Please.” Chrissy confirmed before she leaned forward. “Have you told her?”   
  
Waverly looked up from the tap and shook her head. “Not yet, tonight.”   
  
“Do you think she’ll take it well?” Chrissy asked as she drummed her fingers on the bar top.   
  
She finished filling the beer and walked it over, carefully placing it down on a coaster.   
  
“I really, really hope so.”    
  
Waverly smiled and opened her mouth to continue before she was interrupted by another customer. She threw an apologetic look at Chrissy before moving away, caught up in the lunch rush.   
  


_______   
  


“Waves? Are you here?”    
  
She looked up from Nicole’s laptop and smiled when she heard the front door close.    
  
“In here, baby!” She said as she set the computer down and moved the blanket off of her lap, standing up in preparation to greet her girlfriend.

Nicole entered the room, carefully balancing the to go containers of sushi in her hands along with a bottle of wine and tequila.

“Sorry I’m late. Dr. Lewis really wanted me to see that procedure… which ended up taking way longer than she promised. And then on my way home I realized I didn’t have anything to drink so I had to stop and grab something.” She thanked Waverly when she grabbed the food and headed into the kitchen.   
  
Waverly placed the food in the fridge and turned around quickly, startled when Nicole was right in front of her.   
  
“Are you breaking up with me?” Nicole asked with worried eyes.   
  
Waverly pulled her head back, stepping away from Nicole as she furrowed her brow. “No. Of course not. Why do you ask?”   
  
“Are you sure?” She said hesitantly. “You drove down here to talk to me. You wouldn’t tell me on the phone what for. Then when I said I was going to be home late you were completely fine with it. You breaking up with me was the only logical conclusion I could come to.”   
  
“No silly, that’s not why I came down here.” She giggled and leaned forward as she puckered her lips expectantly.    
  
Ignoring her request, Nicole folded her arms. “Then why are you here?”    
  
Waverly frowned when she opened her eyes and looked at Nicole who was now leaning against a counter with a suspicious look on her face.   
  
“Baby. Sit down.”   
  
“Oh God.” Nicole said with wide eyes. She started pacing. “You are breaking up—”   
  
“I LOVE YOU.” Waverly blurted out as she stepped forward and grabbed Nicole’s wrists. She gently caressed them as she apologized. “Sorry. I—I didn’t mean to yell that.”   
  
Nicole’s shoulders dropped as her body went slack. She looked down at the thumbs rubbing her wrists gently.    
  
“What?” Nicole asked quietly.   
  
“I love you.” Waverly repeated firmly again.   
  
Nicole looked away with a grimace. “Um… okay.”   
  
Waverly felt her stomach drop at the same time her hands did. Releasing Nicole’s wrists, she stepped backwards, bumping a kitchen chair.   
  
“Fuck. You’re not— You don’t… I— I’m so sorry.” A tear rolled down her cheek as she looked desperately at Nicole for any indication as to what she should do. 

Nicole stood there, mouth agape before she snapped it shut and looked away.

“Dammit. Sorry, bab—Nicole. I’ll go.” She bumped a chair as she as she turned to leave, apologizing absentmindedly to the object as she pushed it out of the way.   
  
Waverly hurried through the apartment, grabbing her phone from the coffee table and jacket from the back of the couch. She slipped her feet into her sneakers, stepping onto the backs and wincing as she heard Gus in her mind telling her she was “ruining a good pair of shoes.” She reached the front door and desperately grabbed for her purse, cursing aloud when it tangled on a hook. Eventually it released and she moved for the door when a hand on her waist pulled, spinning her around pulling her flush against Nicole’s. She looked up into solid brown eyes, glassy with unshed tears.    
  
“I’m sorry.” Nicole said with a truly apologetic tone.   
  
“Nicole, let me go.” She pushed away from Nicole’s collarbone, where her hands had been uncomfortably resting.   
  
She felt the strong hands holding her waist release their grasp as she stepped back and hit the door.   
  
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have grabbed—” Nicole said as she stepped back with a horrified expression.    
  
“It’s fine. Don’t apologize.” Waverly smoothed down the front of her shirt as she looked away.    
  
There was a moment of silence before Nicole spoke again, quietly but with purpose.    
  
“Please stay.”    
  
Waverly looked down and watched as Nicole reach forward in an attempt to grab her hand but dropped it before she made contact.    
  
“Can we talk?” She added.   
  
Waverly nodded her head. Setting her purse down on the floor, she followed Nicole into the living room and sat on the opposite end of her new yellow Ikea sofa.   
  
Nicole fiddled with her thumb for a minute before she spoke.    
  
“I’m sorry but I can’t say it back. I should have said that in the kitchen, but I was trying so hard to figure out how to.” Her voice cracked as she looked up. “I—I loved my family. My little sister was the spitting image of me. She hated the comparison, but not only did she look like me, she literally did everything I did. She was even going to start school that August at Notre Dame in their biology program. And my parents? They were some of the best people I’ve ever met. When I came out to my mom, she laughed and said ‘I’ve known that since you were eight.’ She marched alongside me in the Pride parade back home. We wore matching rainbow shoes.” A tear rolled down her cheek. “My dad and I did everything together. He taught me to love baseball, fix a car, camp.” She smiled and continued. “He even taught me how to flirt with women. My family had my whole heart. I loved Shae too. She was my world, and the person that I thought I’d grow old with.”   
  
Waverly felt her inside crumble just a bit. She hadn’t thought this is how this night would go at all, listening to Nicole recount all of the loves in her life. She squeezed her fist shut as she tried to keep tears at bay.   
  
“Waves.”   
  
She looked over and noticed that Nicole had scooted closer, still not quite touching.   
  
“Yeah.” She said timidly as she looked down to the short distance that separated their bodies.   
  
“I know what love is. I know it because of all of those people I lost, they all taught it to me. It’s that feeling you get when your insides get warm when you see or hear someone you care about. It’s being willing to put another person’s well-being above your own. It’s staying up late just so you can talk to your girlfriend during her break at work, because, even though you’re exhausted, her laugh makes your world spin. It’s ordering all of your girlfriend’s favorite sushi rolls even though she said you could pick tonight. It’s facing your girlfriend’s terrifying sister because you care so much for her that you don’t even care when Wynonna threatens your life.” She ignored Waverly’s horrified expression and pressed on, “Baby, just because I can’t say it right now, doesn’t mean I won’t be able to one day. So… I know I didn’t handle this well, and I totally understand if you want to go, but will you please stay?”   
  
Waverly breathed a sigh of relief as she Nicole finished speaking. Launching herself forward, she kissed Nicole deeply, reveling in the warmth of the familiar body against hers. She slowly pushed forward until Nicole was flat against the couch and she was above, slotted in between her legs. Using a hand for leverage, she pulled away, panting as she looked down into bright brown eyes.   
  
“You scared me.” Waverly said as she leaned down and pecked her lips once more.   
  
Nicole reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind Waverly’s ear, leaving her hand there as she rubbed her cheek. “I’m sorry.”    
  
She dropped her body a little. Steading herself with an elbow, she used her other hand to trace patterns across Nicole’s exposed collarbone.   
  
“Don’t apologize. I completely understand.”   
  
“Does this mean you’re staying?” Nicole asked hesitantly.   
  
Waverly shuffled to the side, sliding against the couch as she grabbed Nicole’s hand and interlaced their fingers against her heart.    
  
“Did you really order my favorite sushi rolls?”   
  
Nicole nodded as she bit down on her bottom lip. “I really did.”    
  
She shook her head and squeezed Nicole’s hand. “You didn’t need to do that, you know.”   
  
“I know. But I wanted to.” Nicole leaned over and kissed her slowly.    
  
Waverly allowed herself to get lost in the moment before she yanked back. “Wait. You ordered my favorite rolls even though you were worried I was going to break up with you?”   
  
“What did you think the tequila was for?”

  
_______

  
After finishing their talk on the couch, they quietly ate dinner at Nicole’s small table she had assembled a few nights before. She made sure to thank Nicole for picking out her favorite sushi rolls, placing a peck on her lips after expressing her gratitude. 

Instead of the marathon she had hoped they would have when they settled into bed, she quietly pulled up the covers over the t-shirt she had stolen and turned her body to watch Nicole, who was still getting changed.

Waverly smiled when Nicole stumbled a little bit, grumbling before she removed her sweatpants, and felt a flush of heat when Nicole yanked down her panties and grabbed a pair of boxers out of her dresser to sleep in.

“Nicole?” Waverly asked after finishing a yawn.

“Hmm?” She said as she pulled down the covers and slid in, stretching out her long legs so one was entwined with Waverly’s.

“You have a cute butt.” She mumbled. 

Throwing an arm across Nicole’s torso, she slid closer to her bonus blanket. Not hearing a response, she smiled when she looked up in question and was met with blush and a devilish grin on her girlfriend’s face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! So sorry for the delay. My life has been all school projects and stress over the last few weeks, but I think I've finally done enough that my university will give me a degree, so hopefully I'll get some free time again here in the near future to write!
> 
> Thanks for reading and commenting and literally just everything in general. And thanks to BNNXP for being a great beta! 
> 
> I'm on Twitter if you ever wanna say hi! @holyshihtzu4 I'm hoping to be more active on that here soon too!


	15. Days Two Forty-One to Two Ninety-Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Long distance is hard sometimes.

**Day Two Hundred and Forty-One**

"So, I have a surprise..." Waverly said as she sat down. Moving her food from her lap to the coffee table, she untucked her sock covered toes from their resting place under Nicole's thigh and smiled halfheartedly. 

"Yeah?" Nicole pried as she set her plate down on her lap and smiled back at her. Waverly leaned into the contact contentendedly when Nicole reached a hand over and rubbed her calf as she waited for a response.

They had just finished making eggplant cacciatore and settled onto the couch to eat while watching a documentary on the world's most extraordinary homes. Initially planning on driving to Calgary this weekend, Waverly had come upon an unexpected surprise that left her calling at the last minute to see if Nicole could instead spend the weekend up at the homestead. She had put this conversation off throughout the entirety of dinner prep, and halfway through their meal, but Wynonna had just sent her a text saying they were a few minutes out and she couldn’t avoid it any longer.

"I have someone I want you to meet,” Waverly said, grabbing Nicole’s hand from off her calf and running a finger over her knuckle. “…and I'm really hoping you like him."

Nicole's eyebrows shot up as her body stiffened. 

"Okay?" She asked curiously.

"His name is Wilson and I haven't known him very long but he seems really, really sweet."

Waverly heard the rumbling of Wynonna’s old truck engine coming up the drive and then the slamming of a car door outside. She sighed, detaching herself completely from Nicole so she could stand up before she smiled sweetly down and reached for her hand.

"Waverly. What is happening?" Nicole asked with a slight look of panic as she complied, taking the offered hand and standing.

"Just come here." She pulled Nicole to the front door and opened it, revealing Wynonna, holding a 10-pound ball of fluff with bulging eyes, a pronounced underbite, and a smile wider than his face.

"Nicole, this is Wilson." Waverly gestured to the small shih tzu, currently being kissed and cooed to by Wynonna across from them.

"Who's a good boy? You are, yes you," Wynonna repeated as Waverly looked nervously over at Nicole, clearly stunned.

"Baby?" Waverly tentatively stepped forward, running a hand soothingly up Nicole’s arm settling it on her neck, playing with the hair at the base.

"His name is…” Nicole finally spoke as she alternated looks between the three, “Wilson?”

"Funny, right?" Wynonna snorted. "Apparently Fern was a huge Tom Hanks fan."

"Fern?"

Waverly moved away from Nicole, stepping forward and rubbing the dog’s ear, who happily leaned into the contact with a smile as she spoke.

“Fern Meier. She’s from Purgatory and she passed away two weeks ago. Her family didn’t want Wil here so they told Nedley to take him to the animal shelter. He stopped by the bar on his way and I kind of adopted him before he could. I was just thinking, the homestead gets lonely sometimes and I thought he’d make good company.”

Nicole nodded. “That makes sense. Can I see him?”

She stepped forward tentatively with her arms outstretched but pulled back when Wynonna recoiled, tucking him under her arm possessively with a glare. “What are you going to do to him?”

Nicole nervously bit her lip.

“Look at him? Pet him.” She said with a shrug.

Wynonna stood still, holding the dog under her arm before she looked down at him and mumbled, “She’s not to be trusted. She gives shots.”

Waverly shook her head before she tried to intervene, reaching for the dog. “Nonna. You didn’t even want me to take him. You said he looked like a deformed teddy bear.”

Wynonna backed away as she waved a hand dismissively. “Yeah well, we cuddled last night and now I think we’ve got a thing, it’s new and confusing.”

Waverly smirked. “Is that why you wouldn’t let me come pick him up after work last night?”

“Yeah…” Wynonna smiled down at the dog. “Plus, he really likes Doc’s mustache – he kept trying to eat it. Doc hated it. It was  _ hilarious _ .”

She chuckled before she reached forward and took the dog out of her sister’s hands, who didn’t put up a fight but had a pout that could rival an upset five-year old.

“You can’t keep the dog I got for Nicole, Wynonna.” Waverly said with a snicker before she froze in place as soon as she realized what she had just accidentally admitted. Looking over shyly towards Nicole, she petted the dogs head slowly and grimaced. “Surprise.”

Nicole put her hands on her hips with a stern expression as she asked, “You got him for me? But you just said it was because you got lonely out here.”

Wynonna eyed the pair suspiciously before she made a move to exit, sidestepping the couple who were locked in an awkward staring contest.

“Well, that’s my cue… I’m going to go. Send Wilson in if you guys start fighting…” She took a few steps forward before before turning around. “Or banging. Don’t subject him to that either, please. He’s innocent.” At that, she walked out of the living room and into her bedroom, closing the door loudly behind her.

Nicole removed her gaze from the closed door and looked at Waverly with a questioning expression.

She took a deep breath and began to explain herself. “Well, kind of. I mean, I hadn’t thought of a dog until you mentioned wanting to buy a house so you could get one. But the stuff about Nedley is true. Fern really did die recently and I couldn’t stand the thought of Wilson going to a shelter. He’s a good boy. He loves being indoors but when you feel like he’s been cooped up too long you can leave him here for a while. I’ve only had him for a few days but he does really well when I’m stuck at the bar. Plus, as you can see, Nonna is more attached to him than she lets on. I walked into her room looking for him the other morning and they were spooning.” She shook her head with a chuckle. “If you don’t want him, I get it. I didn’t ask and that’s not fair. But I kind of like him so he’ll prob—”

“Baby.”

Waverly looked up from her nervous ramble and was met with a blinding smile, paired with a set of deep dimples.

“Yeah?” She asked tentatively.

Nicole moved into her space, stroking her cheek lightly. “I really like him. Can I see him?”

Waverly beamed as she passed the little shih tzu over, who promptly licked her face before sneezing.

She chuckled as she wiped her face. “I think he likes me.”

Nicole leaned over and placed the dog onto the floor, kneeling so she could play with him face to face.

“Who wouldn’t?” Waverly mumbled as she watched lovingly before getting down to join them.

  
  


**Day Two Hundred and Forty-Nine**

Waverly rolled over lazily as the sun peered into the room, smiling when a warm hand snaked its way onto her exposed stomach before slowly moving up her t-shirt, pulling her closer.

“Mmm, morning.” Nicole muttered into her ear as she placed a kiss on her neck. “You rolled away last night. That’s so unlike you.”

“I got hot.” She said with a sly smile as she nodded down towards the tiny ball of fur curled up near her feet.

“You, Waverly Earp, got hot?” Nicole asked incredulously. “Who are you and what have you done with my Waverly?”

She raised an eyebrow as she tried to mask her grin. “ _ Your _ Waverly, huh?”

“Well… no.” Nicole sat up on an elbow and looked down apologetically. “Sorry, I know you don’t belong to anyone, especially me. You’re a beautiful, strong, independe—”

Waverly smiled at Nicole’s nervousness and spared her by sitting up slightly to place a soft kiss on her lips. “I like it. I can be your Waverly.” She caressed a thumb gently across her cheek as she continued, “Now what do you say we get up and get ready so we can take Wilson for a walk.”

Her eyes flickered shut as she leaned into Waverly’s touch. “That sounds nice. Want to save a little time and join me in the shower?”

“Well, I’m all for saving water. Let’s go.” Waverly said as she jumped up, wiggling her butt as she stalked out of the room.

 

**Day Two Hundred and Fifty**

“You’re such a good boy.” Nicole said as she rolled around on the living room floor with Wilson. “You’re so handsome and smart.”

Waverly laughed loudly from the couch as Wilson sneezed in Nicole’s face.

“You think that’s funny, huh?” Nicole asked as she wiped her face with her hand. She pushed herself up off of the floor, taking special care to not touch anything with her hand before stalking forward menacingly. “I’ll show you!”

In preparation, Waverly pulled the blanket that had been resting below her waist up and and narrowed her eyes. 

“Don’t you dare.” She giggled as she pushed Nicole, who was halfheartedly trying to get to her, away with her sock covered foot. “No! Gross! Stop it!” 

“But you laughed at me!” Nicole said with a devilish grin as she flexed her dirty hand. “I think it’s only fair you get some of Wilson’s germs too.” She continued stalking forward, lightly grabbing Waverly’s wrist with her clean hand at the last second. She leaned down for a quick kiss before she pulled away and smiled, showcasing her dimples. 

“Go wash your hands and I’ll make it up to you.” Waverly mumbled as she sat up a little more, meeting Nicole’s lips for another kiss, not as innocent this time.  “Wynonna texted. She’s out for the day on a bike ride with Doc so we have the house to ourselves.”

“What are you suggesting?” Nicole asked with a raised eyebrow as she placed her hands on her hips.

She shrugged as she laid back against the pillows, reaching forward and grabbing the drawstring of Nicole’s sweats to twirl around her finger. “I don’t know. Maybe you should do as I say and then come back to find out.”

 

**Day Two Hundred and Fifty**

“I’m going to miss you so much. You’re such a good boy, yes you are. You are so, so good.”

Nicole was kneeling on the ground of the living room, saying goodbye to WIlson in the bed they had driven to the pet store in town the day before to purchase together. They had bought one for the homestead and an identical one for Nicole’s apartment when the dog would be staying with her. Waverly had rolled her eyes when Nicole impulsively grabbed a dog sweater, an expensive box of treats, and three squeaky toys to add to their purchase.

“You’re being ridiculous. I told you I’d bring him this weekend. He’s literally coming to stay with you.” Waverly shook her head as Nicole continued kissing the small shih tzu. “It’s like you like him better than me. I haven’t even gotten a kiss yet.”

Nicole rolled her eyes as she scratched Wilson behind the ears. “Don’t mind her. She’s just jealous because you’re such a good boy. But that’s okay, we’ll forgive her because we love her.”

Nicole’s face went from playfulness to sudden realization. She looked up from her place on the floor with a smile on her face as she nodded nodded. “I do. I love you.”

Waverly felt her heart burst. Her eyes crinkled at the corners as she reached for Nicole’s hand, pulling her up and wrapping her arms around her waist as Wilson huffed and stood up, walking over to his food dish near the kitchen.

“Sorry the first time you had to hear me say that was talking to a dog.” Nicole said as she looked down into Waverly’s eyes.

“Don’t apologize.” She cupped Nicole’s cheeks and kissed her deeply. “I love you too.”

“And I love Wilson.” Wynonna said as she walked into the room still wearing her pajamas and with disheveled hair, ignoring the couple as she passed.

Waverly looked over and rolled her eyes. “Thanks for ruining the moment, Wy.” 

“Yeah, well thanks for waking me up with your goodbyes.” She grabbed a mug and poured herself a cup of coffee before she walked forward and picked up Wilson just as he was about to take another bite.

With a quick tap to her butt, Waverly released her grip on Nicole and stepped back. “You should get on the road. Text me when you get home, yeah?”

“Will do.” She placed a quick kiss on her lips and grabbed her bag from the floor. “Take care of my dog will you, Earp?” She said pointedly as she took a step backward.

“Your dog.” Wynonna said as she lazily made air quotes with the hand holding Wilson. “We’ll see about that.”

Nicole looked at Waverly with a pleading expression. “You’ll still bring him, yeah?”

“Of course, baby.” She stepped around Nicole and opened the front door. “Now go.”

“Okay.” She walked onto the porch before she turned back, muttering “I love you,” again before she made her way down the steps to her truck.

**Day Two Hundred Seventy**

Waverly stared at the beautiful face across from her on her cell phone screen as she leaned her slender form against her headboard. She had just gotten a Facetime call from Nicole explaining that she wouldn’t be able to make it to Purgatory, having been assigned to cover a sick coworkers weekend shift at the animal hospital.

“I’m going to miss you.” Waverly pouted into the phone.

Nicole chuckled. “You probably don’t even notice when I’m gone.”

“Of course I do!” Waverly said with a giggle. “You’re my bonus blanket.”

“That’s my favorite job.” Nicole said confidently through the camera. “Being your bonus blanket, I mean.”

“Good, because you aren’t getting out of it anytime soon. Hey, hold on.” She set the phone down and yanked her Shorty’s shirt off before leaning across her bed, right over the phone screen to grab Nicole’s shirt, the same one she had been sleeping in since she had stolen it their first official weekend as a couple. She pulled it over her head and picked the phone back up.

“No fair! You did that on purpose.” Nicole pouted when Waverly came back into view.

“I did not.” Waverly said with a wink.

Nicole groaned and let her body fall back on the couch she had been occupying. “I miss you all of the time, you know?”

Waverly giggled as she reached around her back and unhooked her bra, carefully sliding the straps through the arm holes as she spoke. “Me or my boobs?”

Nicole groaned again as she slapped a hand to her forehead. “Would you hate me if I said both?”

“No. If I’m only using you for your body heat, I think it’s only fair if you want to use me for my breasts.”

They both laughed for a minute before Nicole spoke again, quieter and with a somber expression.

“I’m sorry I have to work.”

“It’s okay. I don’t mind. How are you liking your job?” She’d been asking every phone call they had, and she appreciated hearing Nicole’s love of her new job grow the longer she worked.

“I kind of love it. It’s so much fun working with animals. It can be hard, definitely. I had to put down a woman’s cat yesterday and I just held her for like ten minutes while she sobbed. That was really, really hard. But a few hours later this little girl came in with her first puppy and we talked all about the adventures they were going to go on together.”

Waverly smiled as Nicole continued. Even if she wasn’t going to be seeing her in person this weekend, just seeing her smiling face on her phone screen made her day better.

 

**Day Two Hundred Seventy-Six**

“Let me start with I’m so sorry, but I have bad news.”

Waverly slumped back against the rickety chair in the old office at Shorty’s. She’d just taken a quick break after receiving a ‘ _ call when you can _ ’ text.

She rubbed her forehead, already knowing what it was going to be. “What is it?”

“I know I promised I’d be up there this week but the schedule just got rearranged and I’m on emergency this weekend and next. Is there any way you could come to Calgary?”

Waverly picked up a pen from the desk and began clicking the end. “Baby, you know I want to but I can’t. Shorty just had his triple bypass so I’m covering all of his shifts now.”

She heard a sigh through the phone. “I know. But I swear to you I will be there in three weeks.”

“Yeah, hopefully.” She said unconvincingly before a muffled shout came through the closed door. “Baby, I have to go.”

“Okay. Have fun at work. Miss you.”

Another loud noise was heard through the door and she stood up, rushing out the door as she hurried off the phone. “Yeah. Me too. Have a good day, babe.”

 

**Day Two Hundred Ninety-Four**

She typed out a quick reply on her phone before she tossed it under the bar and looked back up, meeting Wynonna’s gaze.

“What do you want?” Waverly barked out before she could stop herself.

Wynonna held her hands up. “Woah, that’s no way to greet a customer, Baby Girl.”

“You haven’t had any liquor for weeks, so don’t try and pull the ‘customer’ card with me.” She narrowed her eyes. “What do you want?”

A smirk appeared on her face. “French fries?”

Waverly sighed before marching back to the kitchen and yelling the order through the door before she stormed back over to her sister’s waiting form.

“That it?”

Wynonna looped her fingers together and leaned forward, placing her elbows on the bar.

“What’s wrong, Waverly?”

“Nothing.” She snapped before grabbing a rag and wiping mindlessly on the already pristine bar top.

“Doesn’t seem like nothing.” Wynonna reached forward and placed a hand on her wrist, stilling her movements. “Tell me.”

Waverly paused for a moment. Her sister was not Nicole’s biggest fan and she was hesitant to trust her, but Chrissy, gone on an adventure in Thailand, was inaccessible to talk to and really needed a listening ear. After a beat of silence, she mumbled, “I’m pissed at Nicole.”

“Little Miss Perfect?” Wynonna scoffed. “What the hell could she have possibly done?”

“She’s not coming this weekend.”

Wynonna raised an eyebrow and leaned back a little, placing her hands behind her head.

“And?”

“I’ve been working the last three weekends and she hasn’t bothered to come up and see me.”

“I was wondering when I’d get to see Wilson again.” She mumbled before looking a little more serious. “Has she said why?”

Waverly tossed her rag down forcefully and looked up.

“Well the first two weekends she was ‘at work’” She mimicked air quotes before she continued, “And I guess she got invited out drinking for a coworker’s birthday tonight and I told her to go because she doesn’t have any friends in Calgary. I doubt she’ll make it up here tomorrow.”

“Well, those sound like reasonable excuses to me. Especially since you  _ told  _ her to go.” Wynonna started tracing circles on the bar top with her finger as she spoke before she paused and looked up. “Unless we don’t trust her? Is she cheating on you? That bitch!”

“No! No, of course we trust her.” Waverly said not too convincingly. “We trust her, right?”

Wynonna looked over towards the kitchen doors, thought on her face, before looking back. “Um…”

“Tell me.” Waverly said with sternness in her tone.

“Well, it’s kind of a silly thought,” She waved a hand as she persisted, “But… I mean, she did leave you in the forest. Maybe she’s trying to leave you again, but taking the coward’s way out by slowly ghosting you.”

“She would never!” Waverly called back as she walked to the kitchen to get Wynonna’s French fries. She set the basket down on the counter with a bottle of ketchup. “Would she?”

“I don’t know.” Wynonna said as she popped a fry in her mouth. After she finished chewing she leaned in and thought aloud. “I want to say no. But on one hand, she did disappear without a trace. And on the other, she does look at you like you’re the fudge to her sundae. It’s probably just long distance stuff, but will you do me a favor and make sure you look out for yourself?”

“Yeah. Yeah, that’s probably it.” She noticed a customer on the other side of the bar motioning for her attention. “Thanks for listening.”

“Anytime, baby girl.”

Waverly got halfway to the awaiting customer before she stopped and turned back, “And Nonna, please don’t call Nicole a bitch.”

_______

She’d had a terrible night. All of her nights had grown increasingly terrible. There was something about having a girlfriend within driving distance but not within touching distance that made her really regret working in Purgatory. The fact that they hadn’t seen each other in person in weeks was making everything that much worse.

All throughout her shift she kept trying to ignore the lingering feeling in the back of her mind that Nicole was somehow tired of her, but she could never completely eradicate the thought, even after Wynonna sent a text that said, “I’m sure it’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

All she felt was disappointment that Nicole hadn’t texted her since she had left for her girls night, and that it would be at least another week before she would get to see her girlfriend in person again.

She pulled her phone when she got to the homestead, deciding to finally settle her nerves by calling Nicole for confirmation. It was 2 am but she didn’t care, she had spent her night worrying and needed reassurance.

Waverly tentatively hit dial and waited as the phone rang. And rang. And rang. Right as she was about to hang up, she heard unfamiliar female voice pick up.

“’ello?”

Waverly stared down in disbelief before she heard the woman’s groggy voice again.

“Hello? Are you there?”

There was another moment of silence before she heard Nicole in the background speak up, “Who is it, Kitty?”

_ Kitty. What the hell?  _ She thought.

Panic rising in her chest, she ended the call and felt every lingering worry she had been trying to expel throughout the night confirmed. Nicole had found someone better than her; closer. She was being abandoned again.

Tossing the phone down on the passenger seat, she felt hot tears form behind her eyes as she stumbled out of the Jeep. She made her way up the rickety old steps as the tears started streaming down her cheeks. She haphazardly wiped them away as she stumbled into the house. She made her way into her Wynonna’s room and crawled into bed with her. She was surprisingly met with little questions as she cuddled into her side and let her tears silently fall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mmkay, first of all, sorry for that. I won't take forever to get the next update up on this one.
> 
> I wanna real talk for a sec to say thanks to you all. I recently finished my undergrad which, for a myriad of reasons, I didn't think would ever happen. I started writing fic as an outlet from the stress of school and the support on here has been SO amazing. It really buoyed me up over the last few semesters, which were all kinds of terrible. As you can tell I'm not great at getting back to your comments, but tbh it's cuz I'm terrible with compliments. Like, it's a thing for me. I made it my new year's resolution to get better at them a few years ago and obviously it didn't stick. Lol so my strategy now is to just avoid them. BUT, I totally read and appreciate every single comment and kudo and such. So, long story short, thanks for your support. 
> 
> And just a few more chapters to go on this one. Well This Sucks isn't over yet, tho.


	16. Day Two Hundred and Ninety-Five

Nicole awoke with a start, an alarm chirping in the distance. She batted wildly at the world around her before she felt a shooting pain as she struck a hard surface. Opening her eyes, she slowly sat up and looked around, noticing she had just hit a coffee table in her search of her cell phone. Finally finding it, she silenced the device before throwing her arm over her eyes. She couldn’t remember much about last night; she knew she had gone out drinking, a last-minute invitation that she was reluctant to take her coworkers up on. She hadn’t seen her girlfriend in weeks and missed her desperately, but nights spent holed away in her apartment talking to Waverly on the phone or binging on Netflix with Wilson snoring on the couch nearby had isolated her from making any real friends in Calgary. She’d met up with Rosita after work last week, catching up on her new girlfriend and listening to her advice telling her that she’d not survive being so far away if she didn’t try and make some friends up here. So, when the invitation to go out barhopping for Kitty’s birthday arose, she said yes and reluctantly called Waverly. She left out the little detail that she’d cashed in on some favors, trading her shifts for the next five days so she could spend some time up in Purgatory. Originally reluctant to let anyone back in, she now couldn’t see a world without Waverly in it.  

The night out had been good, maybe too good. The pounding headache blurring her vision slightly reminded her she’d had too much to drink and, after removing her arm from its place over her eyes, she noticed she was laying on the floor of someone else’s home. Someone who was currently walking in the room.

“Morning.” Said Kitty, another vet at the clinic, as she walked out from her bedroom in scrubs, sporting a huge grin on her already perky face. “You sleep well?”

“No.” Nicole grumbled back as she rubbed at her eyes. “Why am I on the floor?”

She laughed as she stopped and looked down, kicking Nicole’s thigh lightly with her sock covered foot. “Hell if I know. I put you to bed on the couch.”

Nicole watched as she left, heading into what she could make out was a kitchen before she heard sounds of a coffee pot starting. She slowly shimmied onto the couch and stretched her back, wincing when it popped in numerous places.

“You call your girl back yet?” Kitty asked as she walked back into the room.

“Hmm?” Nicole mumbled as she pulled her phone up off the coffee table and looked briefly down at the screen.

“Your girl. Waverly, right? She called you last night. Late too -- Hung up after a few seconds, though. I tried to get you to call her back but you just giggled and started talking about how much you love her and how excited you were to see her today.”

Nicole looked down at her phone and frowned when she saw that she had indeed received a call from Waverly at 2 am. She set the device down and looked up, meeting Kitty’s curious expression. “I’ll call her back in a minute. I do have another question, though. Why am I at your house? I thought I was going home after the party.”

“So did I. But you had too much to drink.” She threw her hands in the air and feigned innocence when she saw Nicole’s accusatory gaze. “Don’t blame me! Erica was the one that challenged you to the drinking contest. I thought it was a bad idea. But at the end of the night you were hammered and I didn’t know where you lived so I told the Uber driver to bring you here with me.”

She smiled and rubbed her forehead, trying to soothe the tension building. “Thanks for that. I haven’t gotten this drunk in ages. Did I make a fool of myself last night?”

“No. Well…” She laughed as she continued. “Maybe. Kind of. Yeah, you did. You were pretty funny. You volunteered us all for karaoke and pouted when no one would join you.” She shook her head with a laugh. “You’ve got an adorable pout. And your Journey impression is not good at all.”

Nicole groaned. “Not ‘Don’t Stop Believing.’”

“Open Arms, actually.” She stood up and walked towards her kitchen. “Do you want a cup of coffee?”

“No thanks.” She picked up her phone and opened up her messages, checking to see if Waverly had sent anything.

“Baby?” Kitty asked loudly from the kitchen.

Nicole’s head popped up at the pet name. “Excuse me?”

“Not you, moron.” She said as she walked by and poked her head into the room she had emerged from.

Nicole heard the muffled sounds of talking. She could make out, “She’s awake, I’m going to drop her off on my way to work,” and, “I made coffee,” before Kitty shut the door and turned around.

“You ready to go? I’ll drop you off. You know where you live this morning, right?”

Nicole narrowed her eyes. “Of course I do. Why wouldn’t I?”

“Hey, don’t give me that look. You didn’t last night.” She grabbed her wallet off of a table near the door and keys from a key ring before walking into the kitchen and grabbing a travel mug. Jingling her keys, she asked with raised eyebrows, “Are you coming?”

Nicole nodded as she slowly got up. “That’d be great, thanks.”

They rode in mostly silence, speaking only when Nicole directed Kitty. She closed her eyes, hoping she could will her hangover away. She made a mental note to avoid Hpnotiq to her list of banned drinks before her eyes shot open and she asked, “Did Waverly say anything on her call last night?”

She hadn’t called her girlfriend back yet, not wanting to be rude while in the presence of a friend. She guessed that if it had been an emergency Waverly would have sent a text. She did shoot her a text after she got in Kitty’s black BMW, a quick “Good morning love, sorry I missed your call,” before setting her phone back down on her lap.

“No.” Kitty responded. “Like I said, she hung up pretty quick. You might wanna call her soon, though. If my wife sounded like your girl did last night, I would’ve called her back by now.”

“Wife?” Nicole asked, stunned.

Kitty chuckled. “Yes, Dr. Haught. The gays can marry now.”

“I know that, thank you very much.” She waved a finger as she continued, “And for the record, I don’t appreciate your sarcasm.”

“Really? Most people find it endearing.” She said with a grin.

There was a moment of silence before Nicole spoke again as she pointed to her apartment complex. “I didn’t know you were gay.”

Kitty turned on her blinker and looked over. “It’s because I didn’t tell you.”

“Why?”

“I didn’t want you hitting on me.”

Nicole went to go explain she would never when she noticed Kitty’s smirk. “You’re being sarcastic again.”

“Sure am.”

Nicole pointed to her stop before she turned around. “I don’t know how I feel about it.”

Kitty shrugged her shoulders. “Talk to me about it after you get back. And go call Waverly.”

“Okay.” She opened her door and got out before she leaned back down. “Thank you!”

Kitty nodded, “Not a problem, Dr. Haught. Enjoy your next few days.”

She smiled before she shut the door, wincing when the loud sound of metal rung through her hangover riddled head.

___

She was getting worried. She’d called Waverly three times after getting out of Kitty’s car, getting sent to Waverly’s voicemail each time. It was unlike her to ignore her calls, unless she was working. But it was still early and Shorty’s wouldn’t be open yet. She’d quickly showered, taken some pain pills to try and soothe her headache, and headed out the door. As she stood in line, waiting for her coffee and some donuts for Wynonna, she shot off a quick text, not wanting to ruin her surprise, but wanting to assuage her fears.

> _Everything okay baby? Haven’t heard from you. Call me. I LOVE YOU!_

She grabbed her bag of donuts and thanked the server before heading out the door.

___

Wynonna was pissed. Waverly hadn’t crawled into her bed in years. When she felt the bed dip, she wrapped a protective arm around her sister and tried to remain strong as she felt Waverly’s hot tears hit her collarbone.  She shuddered at the thought of the last time she held Waverly, sobbing after Curtis had died. Bad luck followed her around, but she sure as hell was going to do what she could to protect Waverly.

When she heard Nicole’s truck pull up, she didn’t think, she reacted. Grabbing the shotgun Waverly kept near the front door, she ran out the door and started yelling.

“What the _fuck_ do you think you’re doing here?”

Nicole paused mid step with a look of horror on her face. Coffee carrier still in hand, she dropped the bag of donuts she had brought. Wilson happily trotted by, ignoring the exchange as he entered the homestead.

“Excuse me?” Nicole asked with a confused look.

“You.” She cocked the shotgun and walked forward with one eye narrowed. “You think you can just fuck around on Waverly and show up here holding your coffee and expect forgiveness. She did that shit with Chump for years, I’m not gonna let her do it again.”

“’You won’t _let_ me’?” Came Waverly’s strong voice from the door to the homestead.

“Oh, hey Baby Girl.” She said in a sing-song voice as she slowly put the shotgun down and turned around, smile on her face. “Didn’t know you were awake.”

Waverly narrowed her eyes and charged forward. “Yes you did.” She ripped the shotgun out of her sister’s hands. “And I can take care of myself, thank you very much.”

“I was just—” Wynonna tried.

“I know what you were doing and thank you. But like I said, I can take care of myself.” Waverly turned Wynonna around and lightly shoved her back towards the house. “Go play with the dog. You know you’ve missed him.”

Wynonna stalked off, sad look on her face, but not before turning around and shooting Nicole a glare that could kill. She mouthed, “I’m watching you,” before she finished trotting up the stairs, shutting the door behind her.

There was a long pause before Nicole stepped forward slightly, stopping when Waverly wrapped an arm around her middle.

“I can’t do this, Nicole.” She breathed out quickly.

Panic was back on Nicole’s face as the color left her already pale appearance. “What? No! Why?”

“I—just, Kitty? Nicole, really? I thought I meant something to you.” She sighed and Nicole’s heart broke when she watched a lone tear fall down her face. “But you slept with someone else and I like you too much to forgive that.”

“What?” Nicole was confused, she walked forward a little, careful to keep her distance. “I didn’t sleep with Kitty. I got way too drunk at the party last night and slept on Kitty, my _coworker_ ’s floor.”

She scoffed and wiped a tear away. “Yeah right. Why haven’t I heard of her before then?”

Nicole tilted her head to the side as she thought. “Have you asked?”

“Why should I have to?” Waverly yelled. She calmed down a little as she wiped at the tears on her face. She tried to remain passive as she said, “But it doesn’t matter. Like I said, I’m done.”

“That’s ridiculous.” Nicole scolded. “You can’t just decide you’re done. I moved out here for you.”

“I DIDN’T ASK YOU TO SO DON’T YOU DARE HOLD THAT AGAINST ME.”

“I’m not!” She threw her hands up. “Don’t you see, I’m trying to show you how much I love you.”

“Then why did you sleep with Kitty then?”

“I promise you I didn’t. You want me to call her? I will call her.” She set the coffee mugs on the ground next to the donuts she had already dropped. Pulling out her phone, she pulled up Kitty’s number, hitting call. She turned her phone around to show the name on the screen before she put the phone on speaker and waited as the phone rang.

“’Sup, Dr. Haught?” Came from the phone.

“Hey Kitty. Question for you. Did we have sex last night?”

“No.” She breathed out after laughing maniacally for a few moments. “Are you in trouble because you didn’t call her back sooner?” she asked, smile still prevalent in her voice, as her laughter stilled.

Nicole quickly took the phone off of speaker and spoke into it. “You’re breaking up, gotta go. Bye.” She hung up and looked up, meeting Waverly’s eyes with anger in her face. “God, I can’t even believe you’d think that.”

“How could I not? You’ve not been up here for weeks. And then when I get worried and call to check on you, a strange woman answers.”

“I get that, Waves, I do. But it was like a work thing. I was just trying to make some friends there. And... I mean, have I not been doing enough to show you how much you mean to me? The flowers? The late calls so I know you’re safe after work? The texts?”

A sheepish expression appeared on Waverly’s face.

“I… Yeah.” Was all she managed out.

“I thought I did.” She sighed. “You know what? I’m going to go. I’m really hurt and I’m not sure I want to be here right now.” She gestured to the house. “I’d appreciate it if you told your sister I didn’t cheat on you. She already hates me as it is. I don’t want her thinking that of me too.”

Nicole turned around, stepping over the donuts and coffee she had brought as she walked back to her truck, ignoring Waverly calling after her.


	17. Day Two Hundred and Ninety-Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The resolution

> _ I’m going home. Stay there, give me a bit. I’m fine. We’ll be fine. I love you. _

Waverly kept staring at the only message she’d received from Nicole the night before.

She’d gotten it just a few minutes after Nicole’s departure; she couldn’t have gotten more than a half of a mile away from the homestead before she’d sent it. Waverly had just had enough time to run back into the house and grab her car keys when she heard her phone ping from its place on the coffee table. She’d put her keys down to read it, simultaneously sighing in relief and breaking emotionally as she fumbled her way back to the couch to sit and cry softly.

The entire tone of the message was meant with reassurance from Nicole, no doubt. Waverly was sure that Nicole, ever the peaceful soul, had pulled off to the side of the road to send it, wanting to allay lingering tension from their quasi-fight. It wasn’t a fight, really; an accusation she had made without basis. Her past had left her feeling insecure and untrusting, but Nicole was nothing like what she had experienced in her past, and everything she wanted to experience in her future.

Wynonna had walked out of her room as she sat there crying. She’d placed the dog under her left arm down on the end of the couch before she scooted in, and started gently rubbing her hand across Waverly’s back.

“So are you and— are you guys done?” Wynonna had tentatively asked.

“No!” She cried out in between sniffles. “I mean… I don’t think so.” She paused to take a deep breath in. “Nicole didn’t cheat on me. But after she found out I thought she did— she was so hurt. You should have seen her face.”

“Hey, hey.” Wynonna cooed. “Hey, Baby Girl. It’s going to be okay.”

“No. It won’t. I fucked it up. I wanted it so bad and I fucked it up.” She buried her face in her hands as her sadness grew louder, sobs racked her entire frame.

“I bet my old Colt revolver you didn’t. Nicole seems pretty loyal to me.”

Waverly looked up in between cries. “But she ran.”

“She came back. She always comes back.” Wynonna leaned in, poking her collar bone lightly. “People come back for you.”

Waverly looked down at her hands, now on her knees, as she slowly calmed down. “You think so?”

“Know it.” Wynonna lopsidedly smiled. “Now, do you want to go find her or do you want to watch Cake Wars to help get your mind off of it while she cools down?”

“I kinda want to lay down… if that’s okay?”

“Totally.” She rubbed Waverly’s knee soothingly. “Go lay down and I’ll make you some tea.”

Since she had dragged herself into her room to lay on the bed, she had only come out once, hurrying to the bathroom once before slipping back into her room to mope.

Now, lying in bed after a night spent tossing and turning, she couldn’t help but acknowledge she had indeed hurt Nicole deeply. She’d stared incessantly at the clipped sentences in Nicole’s text, so unlike the flowy, heartfelt prose she was used to getting. Waverly had typed and deleted over 100 apology texts since the night before. Always finding that her words were inadequate; instead she’d put her phone back down and try to think of another way.

She was sick of feeling powerless, though. Sick of the thought of Nicole hurt and alone because of her. She wanted to fix this -  _ needed - _ to fix this. She pulled out her phone and shot off a quick text.

> _ I can’t come in this afternoon. I’m sorry. _

She threw her covers off, and set the phone down. As she looked at her toes dangling off the edge of the bed, she willed the tears forming in her eyes to stay, not wanting to shed another tear for her mistake. She sighed when she read the time on the clock across the room. 6:42 am was not a time she usually started her day at. If she had it her way, she’d be sleep warm from Nicole’s embrace until she crawled out of bed at 10:30 to go make them pancakes.

She shook the thought off and stood up, walking over to her clothes hamper to toss her sleep shirt in, before shedding her underwear. She was going to go to Calgary and fix this. She felt like an idiot, but she was sure of one thing: she was an idiot in love.

Naked, she padded back to her phone on her bed. She picked it up to send another text, but first stopped to read at the response she had just received from Gus.

> _ Take care of yourself girl. _

Waverly smiled as she swiped away the notification and pulled up her messages with Nicole again. She took care typing out her text, making sure to put down exactly how she felt.

> _ I cannot express to you how sorry I am. I hope you understand why I thought what I did, my past is… complicated. But you aren’t my past and you deserve so much better than how I treated you. I would like to come down to Calgary today to apologize in person, if you’ll let me. If not, I understand but I just need you to know, I have never loved anyone the way that I love you. NEVER. _

She hit send before she could second guess herself and walked back towards her door, grabbing the black silk robe from back of the door and slipping it on so she could make her way to the shower. The ding of her phone stopped her in her tracks, right as she reached for the knob. She ran quickly back and felt her heart skip a beat when she read the response.

> _ I’m out front. Let me in? _

+++++

Nicole had gotten as far as the Purgatory town limit yesterday when she remembered Calgary wasn’t her home; Waverly was. She knew she’d get over the hurt she felt, but a night away was a necessity, so instead of making the long journey home, she pulled her phone out and searched for a good camping spot nearby. It didn’t take long, with the help of Google  she found a good area and, after a quick stop at the lone grocery store in Purgatory for some food, she was once again with nature.

Ever the industrious lesbian, she debated sleeping in the hammock she kept in her truck before she decided to just pitch the small tent she stored in the backseat. The ground was still thawing from a long Alberta winter, patches of half melted snow littered the ground, but it had warmed up enough that even with her limited equipment, she could manage a night out in the cold. She had thought about taking her camping gear out of her when she settled into a domestic life, but her time on the road had still felt ingrained, a part of her somehow, and it helped that she didn’t have need to seat anyone in the back, so she left the basic necessities back there, finding it especially handy in this moment.

After getting a basic camp set up, she threw together an almond butter and honey sandwich and set off on a nearby hike. The mountain air flooded her senses as she climbed steeper and steeper. The higher she got, the more she thought of her girlfriend. She was a perfect combination of adorable and sexy. She could seamlessly transition from a conversation about the economy, politics, culture and religion of the Mayan civilization to an erotic filled come on, without Nicole even being aware it had happened. Everything Waverly said left her speechless and wanting to hear more. Everything Waverly did left her breathless and wanting to give back. There was a dull ache in her chest when she thought of the look Waverly had given her after Wynonna had left them alone outside. She’d truly looked heartbroken, but the accusation had thrown Nicole. She had never, in all of her years of dating, felt so strongly about a person. She knew she had been in love before, but her feelings for Waverly were incomparable to anything previously and she couldn’t fathom how Waverly would even think she could cheat.

She thought of everything she had tried to do for her when she couldn’t be there in person. She had sent flowers twice, until Waverly gently suggested that cut flowers were a tad more wasteful than she’d like. Nicole hadn’t thought about the environmental impact of the gesture, and after doing a little research, had opted instead to make a donation equal to the cost of a bouquet of flowers to one of Waverly’s favorite environmental charities. She’d screenshotted the receipt, sending it along with a message expressing how much she missed her, and had been pleasantly surprised when the phone call to say thank you that night had taken an incredibly pleasant sexual turn.

As she settled into her sleeping bag and began staring at the roof of her small tent, she finally let herself cry. She felt so small in the universe, especially when she was alone in nature, but Waverly made her feel like she was the center of hers, and she thought she had done the same. Obviously not if Waverly could dump her so easily, though. She laid there for several hours, tormented by her thoughts, wondering how she could express to Waverly what she meant, what she had given her in their short time together. Eventually the sound of rain pattering on the top of the tent stilled her mind and she finally let sleep overtake her.

____

Nicole woke to her favorite sound, the chirping of birds settled into the trees above her. It was still early, light had just barely started filtering through the green nylon of her tent. She stretched as best she could in her small tent before she sat up and shivered as her exposed arms hit the cold air. She rifled through her bag and pulled out her black puffy coat, pulling it on before shimmying completely out of the sleeping bag so she could slip on her Merrell’s and climb out into the fresh mountain air.

She took a deep breath in and looked up towards the sky. The clouds had rolled in while she was setting the tent up the night before, but the rain that had fallen from them had now left a crisp blue canvas above. She stood like that, appreciating the serenity for exactly 30 seconds before she remembered her girlfriend and the state in which she had left her house. Her head dropped as she remembered Waverly’s defeated face. She knew her night in the wild had been good for her emotionally, but she didn’t want to draw this fight out longer than she needed to. She had learned the hard way that life was too short to not cherish those around you.

Nicole quickly packed up camp, stopping briefly to make another sandwich before she got on the road. She had about an hour drive back to the homestead and knew she’d probably be back before Waverly awoke. She thumbed through the songs on her phone before finally settling on a playlist, one about love, to pass the time as she made the journey back to her girlfriend.

+++++

Waverly held the front of her robe shut as she sprinted to the door. She yanked it open with more force than necessary, wincing when the knob loudly banged against the wood of the wall. She whimpered silently when she made eye contact with Nicole, who had an unreadable expression on her face and a bouquet of flowers in her hand.

“Listen.” Nicole began. “I know you don’t like cut flowers but I haven’t been in a fight in a while and I didn’t want you to think that just because we’re figh—”

She was cut off when Waverly launched herself forward, wrapping her arms around Nicole’s trim waist and firmly planting her lips on her mouth. She was met with no reaction and was about to pull back when the hand not holding the bouquet firmly settled on her ass and the other one wrapped around her shoulder, pulling her closer. They moved in tandem for a minute, relishing each other’s embrace before Waverly pulled back. She smiled as she looked up and was met with Nicole’s dopey grin.

Waverly waited for her to open her eyes before she began speaking.

“I am so, so, so sorry, baby. I didn’t think through the situation and that was  _ totally  _ unfair to you. I’ve had some bad experiences in the past and I let that get into my head. You are the most thoughtful person I’ve ever met and, I don’t know if you’ve had a chance to read my message yet but it is true, I have never loved anyone the way that I’ve loved you.”

She stopped her rambling and felt her stomach drop when Nicole pulled away and backed up a little.

“Can we talk inside? You look cold and I’ve just spent the night outside, so I’d like to continue this conversation in a warmer environment.”

She raised her eyebrows questioningly. “You slept outside?”

Nicole nodded. She sidestepped Waverly’s tiny frame and took a step up before she reached out and grabbed her hand. “I’ll explain inside, come on.”

They walked into the homestead. Nicole released Waverly’s hand long enough to lock the front door and toe off her hiking shoes before she gripped it again and guided them down the hall into her bedroom.

She released Waverly’s hand once more so she could shut the door behind her before she walked over and set the flowers atop the dresser. She pulled off her coat and tossed it into a corner and walked over to Waverly to pull her into a hug.

She stroked Waverly’s long brunette hair as she spoke. “I’m not mad.”

Waverly settled into the embrace. She let the peace of the moment fill her before she tentatively spoke into Nicole’s chest. “You should be.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Waverly pulled back and looked up. “Then why aren’t you?”

“Life is too short for me to be mad about a little fight.”

“I thought you slept with a woman named Kitty and I tried to break up with you over it.”

Nicole looked sad for a moment before she asked, “Do you want to break up with me?”

“No!” She squeezed the arms she had around Nicole for emphasis. “I love you so much. I think I might have been scared?”

Nicole extricated herself from Waverly and moved to sit on the end of the bed. She patted at the space next to her expectantly. “About what?”

Waverly obeyed, sitting opposite of Nicole. She crossed her legs and began. “I really, really like you.” Looking down, she started absently playing with the tie to her robe with her hands. “The thought of you not liking me as much as I like you… well, I feel very vulnerable.”

Nicole reached forward and took one of Waverly’s restless hands. “I love you so much. I really don’t want you to worry about that.”

Unsure, Waverly let out a shaky breath. As she was gathering her thoughts, she felt Nicole squeeze the hand she was holding. She looked up and was met with a radiant smile.

“I have proof.” Nicole continued. “Yesterday, when I told you I was going home, the only thought on my mind when I drove away was that Calgary isn’t my home, you are. I camped out in the woods for the night so I could still be near you.”

“You what?” Waverly said angrily as she released Nicole’s hand and narrowed her eyes. “You went camping in the wilderness and you didn’t tell me?! There are bears out here!”

“I was fine.” She gestured up and down her body with her hand. “See?”

“But what if something would have happened? I thought you went to Calgary and were sleeping safely in your apartment! What if a wild animal attacked you? Did you tell anyone where you were?”

“No…” Nicole said with a confused expression. “Why would I? I camped alone for a year alone and didn’t tell anyone.” She looked away and quietly added, “No one cared I was in the woods alone when you met me.”

Waverly’s heart broke a little. She settled a hand on Nicole’s cheek and spoke with a gentler tone. “I cared that you were alone then… and I still care now. I know we haven’t been dating long but you are a part of my family. Please don’t go on an adventure like that again without telling me.”

Nicole nodded before she leaned forward and kissed Waverly softly.

“I love you.” She said as she pulled away.

Waverly leaned in and pecked her lips again. “I love you too. I’m sorry for thinking you cheated.”

“Let’s stop apologizing.” Nicole shook her head with a devilish grin. “We haven’t been together in weeks and I can think of much better ways for us to spend our time.”

Waverly grinned and went to move in for another kiss when her stomach rumbled. She looked down quickly before she looked back up with a grimace. “I think I may have to eat first. I was kind of upset so I went to bed without dinner and I think I’m paying for it now. Breakfast and then make up sex?”

Nicole laughed and stood up. “Want to go to the diner? I miss their pie.”

“Yeah. But I get to pay.”

“Deal. Come on.” She grabbed Waverly’s hand and pulled, helping her off the bed. “Let’s get you dressed. I’ve gotten a few sneak peaks from that robe and the sooner we eat the better.”

____

“Ugghh.” Nicole groaned as she walked through the front door of the homestead clutching her stomach. “I shouldn’t have eaten that second slice of pie.”

Waverly snickered as she pulled off her hoodie, another one she had stolen out of Nicole’s duffel, and hung it next to the front door. “I told you you’d regret that slice of razzleberry but you didn’t listen.”

Nicole whipped her head around with mock offense on her face. “I regret nothing.”

“But you just said—” She began as she turned away to lock the front door but was cut off when she felt Nicole’s warm presence step into her space, arms on either side of her head, trapping her against the wood. She slowly turned around and was greeted by Nicole’s dimpled smile.

“What can I say? I guess I’m a sucker for sweet things.” Nicole said with a wink.

Waverly felt a tinge of guilt at that statement. She turned her head as Nicole went in for a kiss, giving her a cheek. “Nicole.”

Nicole leaned back a little, a question on her face. She moved a strand of Waverly’s hair behind her ear as she waited.

“Are—” Waverly huffed. “Are you sure we’re okay?”

Nicole moved her hands from their place on the door, effectively freeing Waverly from her trap. She settled them loosely on her hips and squeezed lightly. Waverly sighed at the contact, moving closer and wrapping her arms behind Nicole’s back, up her shoulder blades, and snaking them to the base of her neck to play with the hairs there. She smiled when Nicole’s eyes rolled back for a moment before she collected herself and started speaking.

“Waves, listen. We are okay.  _ But _ , I need you to trust me. We live really far apart and we’re going to continue living far apart for the foreseeable future. We may have times where we don’t see each other for a while but I promise you,  _ on my life _ , I will never do anything to hurt you.” She ducked her head shyly and smirked. “Except for that one time when I accidentally dropped you as I was carrying you to the bedroom.”

Waverly smiled at the memory before she felt a hand cup the side of her neck. She looked into Nicole’s eyes and got lost for a moment before she Nicole spoke again.

“Do you trust me?”

Waverly nodded as she mumbled a quiet, “Yes.”

“Can I trust you? Are you in this with me?”

“God yes.”

“Good. Now,” Nicole leaned down and placed a kiss on her neck as her hands moved to cup Waverly’s ass. “What do you say,” she moved her lips a little higher, placing a kiss at the base of her jaw, “we go back to bed?” She finished by placing a kiss on her lips as she lifted Waverly, who promptly wrapped her legs around Nicole’s torso.

Waverly nodded with a giggle as they set off down the hall. “Don’t drop me.” 

____

“Do you want kids?” Waverly asked as they settled down to eat the dinner they had just finished preparing.

Nicole paused with the napkin midair. “What?”

Waverly finished her sip of wine she had taken before the question and set the glass down slowly. “I asked if you wanted kids.”

Nicole quirked an eyebrow. “Yeah, I do. Why do you ask?”

“Well, seems like something we should talk about if this,” She gestured between their bodies, “Is as serious as I think it is.”

Nicole finished setting the napkin down and smiled. “Yeah, I’d say it’s pretty serious. Don’t you think this is an oddly serious topic to have right after a fight?”

“Well, you told me to trust you…” She trailed off as she thought, but quickly finished her statement when she noticed Nicole’s curious expression. “And I do. I do trust you. But I want to make sure we talk about important things going forward.” 

Nicole finished her sip of wine and smiled. “I think that’s a good plan.”

“Good. And I want kids too.” Waverly picked up her fork and stabbed at the vegetable lasagna. “Now you ask me something hard.”

Nicole tilted her head to the side as she thought. Her expression changed and she smiled. “Where do you see yourself in ten years?”

_ ‘With you’ _ immediately popped into Waverly’s mind but pushed the thought aside as she tried to picture her future.

“I don’t think I’m done with school, so that’s definitely still on my mind. And I want to travel more. I’ve never been in the ocean but I’ve always wanted to swim in it, so far out that my feet don’t touch the bottom.” She picked up speed as she spoke, clearly excited. “And I’ve always wanted to skydive, preferably over a really cool place. Oh, and eat geoduck! I want to eat geoduck.”

“Isn’t that the one…?” Nicole trailed off while making a crude hand gesture.

Waverly giggled. “Yeah. You can’t get it here in Purgatory. So I’ll have to go someplace else to try it.”

Nicole picked up her wine glass and took another sip. “Those all sound like really cool things.”

“Yeah. What about you? Where do you see yourself in ten years?”

Nicole paused for a moment.

“Well…” She leaned forward and grabbed Waverly’s hand on the table. “I really hope this doesn’t scare you, but the very first thought that came to my mind was ‘wherever you are.’”

Waverly scrunched up her face in a bright smile. “Great minds think alike.”

Nicole nodded before adding, “I wouldn’t mind skydiving. And I love the ocean. But I want to go a place I’ve never been with you. We’ll go someplace where the water is really warm. I’ve heard Thailand has warm water and I’ve always wanted to go there. And… I’ll happily support you in your quest for geoduck but you’re alone when it comes to trying it.”

“You would? Want to do all that with me, I mean.”

“Of course I would! I want to do  _ everything _ with you, Waverly Earp.”

“I want to do everything with you too.” She said shyly as she picked up another bite of lasagna. “Nicole?”

“Hmm?”

She ignored the adorable look she was getting from her girlfriend, who currently had a mouth full of lasagna, as she asked, “I haven’t really thought this out completely… the thought kind of just occurred to me... and I need to talk to some people… but do you think I could maybe go back to Calgary with you?”

There was a moment of silence as Nicole hurried to finish her last bite. She wiped her mouth with a napkin as she raised an eyebrow. “You’re welcome anytime, you know that.”

“No, I mean…” She sighed. She rushed out before she could overthink her decision, “I mean, like permanently.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your patience! Hope that was alright! Just a few more chapters to go and then this one's done. I'm still working on Well This Sucks, tho! And I've got a seed of an idea for something I think would be fun. So there's stuff I'm game to write if you all are still willing to read it.
> 
> And special thanks to my beta BNNXP for making me feel like my ideas aren't crazy.
> 
> I'm on Twitter if you ever wanna come say hi! @holyshihtzu4


	18. Day Three Hundred and Three

“Dr. Haught?”

Nicole’s concentration was broken by the timid voice coming from behind her. She looked up from her laptop and looked back towards the voice, showcasing a genuine smile, knowing she’d be met with the newest tech’s nervous gaze.

“Yes, Josh?”

“I just checked in a woman with her new cat. She says she found it wandering by the highway and thinks it’s fine but wants to make sure it’s not chipped and also get a checkup.” He paused while he shuffled the papers in his hand. “She’s insisting that you be the one to look it over.”

She grimaced. She had a phone date with Waverly in a half hour but still needed to run to the doggie day care to get Wilson and was already desperately trying to finish her paperwork for the day.

“I was actually supposed to be out of here 20 minutes ago. Did you ask her if Dr. Kinikini could look her cat over?”

“Yeah. I even explained that he’s our senior vet, but she’s…” He paused and gulped. “Very terrifying.”

Nicole nodded regretfully. She looked back to her laptop, trying to decide if she had time to finish this patient’s record.

“Okay. I just need to finish up my comments, place a quick call to the family, and then I can go take a look. Will you please pop your head in and say I’ll be about ten minutes?”

“Not a problem, Dr. Haught.” His lopsided smile appeared as he looked back up from the paperwork in his hand. “She’s in exam room five.”

He turned to leave but was stopped when she spoke again.

“Hey Josh?”

“Yes, Dr. Haught?”

“Call me Nicole, please.”

“Okay. Thanks, Nicole.” He smiled briefly before he turned and quickly left.

She sighed before picking up her cell phone, quickly texting Waverly an update before returning to her work.

____

Almost 20 minutes later, Nicole hung up the office phone, still smiling from the stories she’d just heard about Mrs. Murdock’s grandson’s trip to New Mexico. She grabbed her stethoscope and tablet and stood up to leave when she decided it best to grab her phone and send another message to Waverly.

“ _I just got off of that call and am going to be later than initially planned. Promise I will make it up to you. ;)_ ”

She typed as she walked down the abandoned hallway before tucking the phone into her back pocket and reaching for the tablet she’d stashed under her arm. She straightened her white coat and walked into the exam room with her eyes on her tablet, beginning her apology before looking up.

“I am _so_ sorry that took so long, Ms…” She trailed off when she read the name on the device.

“It’s about damn time, Dr. Haughtdog.” Wynonna gently stroked the back of the orange tabby in her hands and smiled deviously. “Fireball _does not_ like the wait times here.”

She blinked twice before accepting that her mind was indeed not playing a trick on her.

“Wynonna, what are you doing here?”

“Getting my cat checked out.” She devilishly grinned before lifting the feline in the air, presenting it as if it was cub at the beginning of a kid's movie. “Can you help my poor p—”

“Nope. Nope. Nope!”

Eyes wide, Nicole dropped the tablet on the counter and hurried over, taking the cat from her hands.

“Did that kid not tell you I was here?” Wynonna continued. “He did seem kind of… stupid. Kept trying to get me to see another vet even though I told him I was here specifically for you.”

Nicole carefully set the cat on the metal table and pulled the wand of the chip scanner out of a drawer as she began her exam.

“He’s just new. He’s trying to find his place here.” She waved the wand over the back of the cat and looked down, confused, before picking up her tablet and typing. “Plus, he knows my shift ended an hour ago.”

“Oh damn. Shouldn’t you be home, then?”

“I was trying to get there! I was finishing up my paperwork for the day when I was informed someone was insisting I see them.”

“Yeah, about that.” She paused. Broadening her shoulders, she put on a serious expression and leaned forward a little. “We need to talk.”

Nicole put the tablet down and picked the scanner, turning around and placing it back in the drawer it came from. She turned back around, unaffected expression prevalent.

“Is that why you picked up Sheriff Nedley’s cat and drove it down to Calgary?”

Wynonna’s face morphed into a sly grin. “ _Oh_ , is that who she belongs to?”

She rolled her eyes. “Yes, you know that. The whole town knows he loves Deputy almost as much as he loves his own daughter. I knew this little lady looked familiar.” She stroked her hand down the cat’s spine before looking back up. “And I’m pretty sure he’ll arrest you if he finds out you stole her.”

Wynonna shifted slightly in her seat but maintained a composed expression. “Well, to be fair, she did wander into my shop and jump onto the roof of the car I was working on. She was just asking to be taken.”

“What did you do with her tags?” She asked absently as she pulled out her cellphone and typed out, “ _The patient was your sister WHO STOLE NEDLEY’S CAT. Maybe we should move our date to tomorrow?_ ”, before beginning her exam, figuring if the cat had made it all the way down to her office, she might as well look it over.

Wynonna chuckled to herself. “Her collar is in my car. Dumb cat barely put up a struggle.”

Nicole shook her head before deciding it best to transition the conversation.

“So you said you wanted to talk?”

“Yeah, why haven’t you told Waverly she could move in with you yet?” Wynonna asked directly with a pointed glare.

Nicole’s gaze shot from the bell of the stethoscope straight to Wynonna’s piercing gaze.

“What?” She asked, stunned.

“Waves." Wynonna said slowly. "Why haven’t you told her she could move in with you?”

Satisfied the cat’s heart sounded fine, Nicole put the stethoscope back around her neck and placed her hands down on the table.

She’d always been quite nervous being around Wynonna but after having a heart to heart with Waverly after their fight, she had found she wasn't as scared anymore. Hearing Wynonna’s unhelpful input during the fight had left a distaste in her mouth that Nicole was having a hard time getting past, so she steeled her nerves and continued.

“That’s not any of your concern.”

“Waverly is my family. She likes you, you say "you like her."" She made air quotes with her fingers around her mocking words. "I just don’t understand why this is so hard for you.”

Nicole grabbed the metal rolling chair and roughly sat down before beginning.

“I take issue with a few of your statements.” She threw out her pointer finger and began. “One, I don’t ‘like’ Waverly, I love her.” She threw out a second finger and pointed to it with her other hand. “Two, Waverly is my family as well so you should know that you aren’t the only one looking out for her.” She threw out another finger. “Three, we _just_ barely resolved a pretty major fight. I thought a week was an appropriate amount of time for us to make sure this was in our best interest." She shook her head but continued her lecture. "Not that it's any if your business, but I was going to tell her on our Facetime date tonight that I’d cleaned out half of my drawers if she still wanted to come up here. Unfortunately, I don’t think I’m going to be able to make that call tonight.”

Nicole dropped her hands and looked Wynonna up and down angrily.

“I love her. And I resent this conversation.” Nicole added before she stood back up and picked up the Tabby. “I don’t trust you with Deputy either. I’ll take her when I drive up to Purgatory tomorrow.”

She turned to leave.

"Wait."

Nicole heard a deep sigh before she turned back around. She kept her expression guarded as she appraised the regret on Wynonna's face.

"I'm sorry. I haven't been nice to you."

"Understatement." Nicole mumbled as she shifted the cat in her hands.

"But we don’t have a great history with people who leave."

Nicole winced. Knowing she had contributed to already Waverly’s previous traumas had experienced left a sour taste in her mouth and a sinking feeling in her gut every time she thought of it.

"So I decided to dislike you."

"I'm so sor--" Nicole began.

Wynonna raised a finger and continued. "But all you've done since you got here is take care of us and I was unwilling to acknowledge that."

Nicole slowly put the cat back down on the table as she digested Wynonna’s speech. She chuckled to herself when Deputy promptly jumped off and ran under Wynonna's legs, purring contentedly.

"When you two made up last week I got to see how much happier Waverly is with you. She's always been annoyingly happy, but that was her, you know?"

Wynonna reached down and petted the cat as she pressed on.

"But with you she's… happy AND whole. So I came down here to talk some sense into you because I want the best for my sister. And it seems you're what's best for her."

Nicole couldn’t help but smile. Waverly meant the world to her and hearing Wynonna talk about the reverse being the same left her weak in the knees.

"You’re thinking about her right now, aren't you?” Wynonna rolled her eyes as she finished. “Ugh. You guys make the Notebook look bleak."

Nicole chuckled and blinked away the water in her eyes. "I appreciate that."

"Yeah. Well, for what it's worth, thank you for looking out for her."

"You don’t have to thank me. I love being around her." Nicole paused for a moment as she gathered her thoughts. "Hey, what are you doing after this? You want to come over to my place?"

"What the fuck, dude? We just got done talking about how much you like my sister and now you're trying to seduce me?"

Nicole shook her head rapidly. "No, no. Don’t flatter yourself, you aren't my type! Do you want to grab dinner? Talk some more? You know, go to a place where I’m not working."

Wynonna smirked as she stood up.

"Sure thing. And for the record,” She grabbed the door handle and looked back. “I'm everyone's type," she said before walking out, leaving a confused Nicole behind.

She bent down to pick up Deputy but stopped as she heard the door open again and Wynonna say, "Hey Dr. Haughtdog, text me your address.”

Nicole stood there mouth agape, hands frozen in place around the cat, as the door quickly closed and Wynonna disappeared once more.

____

“And then he picked me up bridal style, carried me over the threshold of that tent and said ‘Are you happy now?’ And that is a life lesson for you, Haught.” Wynonna paused to take a drink before she finished her sentence. “Don’t ever get Sangria drunk at a campsite with retirees.”

Nicole burst into a fit of laughter as Wynonna finished recounting her time spent backpacking through the Appalachians with Harley, her boyfriend at the time.

She was nursing her third beer and taking comfort that the tension had eased since their initial meeting in her office.

After giving Wynonna her apartment key and having a long conversation with Waverly on her way to the doggie daycare, the pair had chatted for a bit at her apartment, watching Nedley's cat inspect the surroundings while doing her best to avoid the curious shih tzu. After unwinding and settling into amicable conversation, Nicole had suggested they go to the pub down the block to get dinner together and chat.

The whole experience had felt almost natural. It was a pleasant surprise to find that they could interact without hostility, and she felt a glimmer of hope at a possible future as a part of the Earp family.

Nicole picked up her mug and took a long sip. Setting it down, she noticed Wynonna’s eyes dart nervously at her phone on the table, screen alight from an incoming message.

"What's up, Wynonna?" Nicole said with a furrowed brow.

"Well." Wynonna paused and leaned forward conspiratorially. "You know how you couldn't find your phone before we came here but I pulled you out the door anyway?"

Nicole nodded slightly. "Yeah?"

"You couldn't find it because I hid it."

The sound of glass clinking loudly against the next table drew Nicole's attention, sidetracking her for a moment before she looked back to Wynonna’s guilty expression. She shook her head and pressed on.

"I don't underst—" Nicole began but froze when a pair of toned arms smoothly slipped around her collarbone and squeezed lightly.

"What the fuck?" She jumped up, away from the embrace and spun around.

"Hi baby." Waverly smiled brightly. “Sorry if I startled you.”

“Waves!” Nicole’s smile lit up her face. She sidestepped her vacated chair and enveloped Waverly in a tight hug.

“Baby, what are you doing here?”

She pulled away and smiled down.

“Wynonna texted me right before you called.” She nodded towards Wynonna as she snaked an arm around Nicole’s lower back. “Said that she accidentally interrupted an important talk and suggested I drive down here.”

Nicole turned around, breaking away from Waverly’s grasp. “What the hell? Why are you still meddling!?”

“Did I really lie though?” Wynonna’s eyebrows narrowed in challenge. “Don’t you have something important to talk about?”

Nicole was distracted momentarily by a hand settling into the back pocket of her jeans. She felt a quick squeeze and shot a warning glance back at Waverly, who simply smirked in response.

“No you didn’t lie, but it wasn’t your pl—”

“Did I interrupt your evening plans?” Wynonna asked without letting Nicole finish.

Nicole used a hand to reach back and retrieve Waverly’s. The glance had done nothing to stop her advances and she was struggling to continue her display of anger with Waverly’s wandering hand distracting her.

Wrapping Waverly’s arm back around her waist, she interlaced their fingers against her side as she continued her lecture.

“This is not fair. I thought we were getting along. Was that all fake? Was agreeing to this dinner just you trying to pass time while you waited for someone who actually liked me to show up?”

Nicole watched as Wynonna’s shoulders slumped.

“Okay, okay. You’re right.” Wynonna stood from the table and walked over. “I’m sorry. It wasn’t fair of me to meddle. But, for the record, you’re now the only person I’ve told about what Harley and I did on that alpaca farm.”

Nicole smiled at the memory before Wynonna interrupted her thoughts.

“If you still would like, I would like for you two to talk.” Wynonna said as she looked briefly over at Waverly before she leaned into Nicole’s side and loudly whispered, “You know, about the ‘oving-may ‘ituation-say.”

Waverly cleared her throat. “Um…”

“Step off, Baby Girl. This is between Haught and I.” She looked back to Nicole for confirmation.

Nicole nodded. “Will you wait for us? It’s still early. We could put on a movie back at my place?”

“Yeah. Give me your keys. I’ll go chill.” Wynonna reached out immediately and made a grabbing motion impatiently as she tapped her foot.

Nicole shook her head as she released Waverly’s hand and reached into her pocket. “We’ll be there in a bit.”

Wynonna nodded before leaning in to hug Waverly. She pulled away to look at them both before she mumbled a, “See you soon.” She slowly walked off towards the exit, but slowed near the bar and loudly ordered, “Two whiskeys, good sir. Put them on the redhead’s tab,” before she finally marched out the door.

The bartender simply looked over, confused.

Nicole shook her head, trying to convey an apologetic look before she turned to Waverly.

“Hi.” She said with a grin as she stepped in and wrapped her arms back around Waverly. She pulled back and quickly pecked her on the lips. “I’m sorry you had to come all of this way.”

“It’s okay. I’m glad I had an excuse to come see you. Even if Wynonna said I didn’t have a choice.”

Nicole stepped forward and pulled out a chair for Waverly.

“What could she do to you? You’re the strongest person I know.”

“Smooth.” Waverly tamed her blush and playfully rolled her eyes. “She said she’d change the Netflix password.”

Nicole finished pushing the chair in before she walked to Wynonna’s vacated seat and pushed aside the empty plates of food. She waved for a passing server, who nodded and held up a finger.

Looking back curiously, Nicole asked, “Don’t you pay the bill?”

“Yeah.” Waverly playfully nudged Nicole’s shin. “Are you just trying to get me to admit I wanted to see you?”

“No.” It was Nicole’s turn to blush, “But now that you bring it up, please go on.” She leaned in and placed her elbows on the table, setting her cheeks in the palm of her hands as she smiled widely.

Waverly giggled and reached for Nicole’s beer, taking a quick sip as she ignored the playful expression.

“So, you wanted to talk about me moving down here?” Waverly asked shyly.

Noticing Waverly’s hesitation, Nicole straightened up and grabbed her hand, squeezing it lightly as she looked at the server, who had just made his way to the table.

“Can I get another beer? And she’ll have…”

“Can I get the same thing?”

“Anything else?” He asked politely.

Nicole squeezed Waverly’s hand again. “Have you eaten? They make a killer quinoa burger.”

She nodded. “Can I get one of those?”

“Of course. I’ll be back shortly with your drinks.”

Waverly took another sip of Nicole’s beer and looked over expectantly.

“What were we saying?” Nicole asked, innocently.

Waverly nudged her leg again before resting it against Nicole’s, rubbing mindlessly up and down smoothly.

“I know. I know.” Nicole smiled brightly and took a deep breath.

She looked into the crinkled half-moon eyes she loved so much and felt her world still, the distractions from the noisy pub fade away, leaving just the two of them there. She felt Waverly’s foot rub her leg reassuringly and her heart stuttered. She wasn’t sure what force had put her in that cabin in the middle of the Redwoods of Northern California, but she knew it was one of the greatest gift she had ever been given, allowing her to now be present in this moment. She felt Waverly squeeze her hand, bringing her back to reality. She cleared her throat quickly and began.

“I thought this would be a scarier conversation. If you would have asked me a year ago where I saw my life today, I don’t know what I would have told you. But this,” Nicole leaned awkwardly across the small table and placed a quick peck to Waverly’s lips. “This is where I want to be. Do you still want to move in with me? Because I would love nothing more than to have you with me all of the time.”

Waverly’s face lit up in a bright smile. She squealed before she hopped off her stool and around the table, wrapping Nicole up in a tight hug. Waverly pulled back far enough to pepper her face in light kisses.

“I was hoping you’d say that.” Waverly bit her bottom lip before she continued. “I maybe packed some stuff and brought it down with me. It’s in the Jeep.”

Nicole chuckled and leaned forward again, kissing her favorite pair of lips. “I love you.”

She took pride in the dopey grin Waverly’s face displayed as she pulled away.

“After dinner do you want to rope Wynonna into helping us get the stuff out of your Jeep?” Nicole asked.

“I’d really like that.” Waverly squeezed one more time before releasing Nicole from her embrace.

As she settled back into her chair she looked up with a blush and quietly said, “I love you too.”

____

“And why am I moving you in?” Wynonna huffed as she pulled the last box from the backseat of the Jeep. “I’m already offended you’re trying to get away from me.”

Waverly rolled her eyes. “Doc came into the bar last night.”

There was a glimmer of panic before Wynonna’s face steeled. “Oh yeah?”

Waverly shut her door and turned around as she threw the duffel bag she had just picked up over her shoulder. “He’s really excited to move to the homestead. Said he’s always wanted a place where he could raise some chickens.”

“What?! I told him he couldn’t have chickens!”

Waverly chuckled as she took the last few steps up the apartment complex. “He said that too, but we both agreed you’re a sucker for a man in a cowboy hat.”

Wynonna’s head dropped, defeated, but Waverly caught the smirk displayed on her lips. When she looked up, her face was expressionless.

“You guys aren’t wrong. And he promised me he’d make me fresh eggs each morning.”

Wynonna went to go reach for the handle to the front door but Waverly lightly grasped her wrist.

“Wy?”

She turned back around, question knitted in her furrowed brow.

“Are you going to be okay? I mean, you’ve not been back that long and here—”

Wynonna carefully set the box down and cupped Waverly’s cheeks. “I’m not leaving you, Baby Girl. I promise you, even though you won’t be down the hallway anymore, I’ll be around.”

Wynonna released her face, but not before placing a quick peck to her forehead.

Waverly thought for a moment before she spoke again. She had been trying and failing to tamper down the concern she felt in her stomach whenever she thought about this move. “I know she says she is, but do you think Nicole’s happy? She’s been through a lot and I worry this is too fast for her.”

“That girl looks at you like you’re the fudge to her Sunday. When I lectured her about not asking you about this,” she gestured to the box on the ground, “She got defensive and lectured me about you being her family. You don’t just call anyone your family; they have to mean something to you. I’m _positive_ she’s happy.”

Waverly felt a tear run down her cheek and wiped it away quickly before stepping forward and enveloping Wynonna in a warm hug.

“Thank you.” She mumbled as she pulled away, turning to look towards the front door that had just opened.

Nicole stepped forward and grabbed Wynonna’s discarded box, but not before silently mouthing a ‘thank you’ to her.

Wynonna subtly nodded in response and reached down for the duffel next to Waverly, who was oblivious to the exchange.

Waverly squeaked in surprise, snatching the bag out of her hands.

“NO!” She screamed. “Let me get that. You _definitely_ don’t want to see what’s inside.”

They all froze, staring wide eyed at each other before Waverly turned beet red and marched into the house, straight into Nicole’s bedroom, dropping the bag on the floor. She walked back out, shutting the door loudly before taking her place on the armchair next to the couch.

Waverly looked over her shoulder expectantly at them, both still frozen in place out front. “Well, are we watching a movie or not?”


End file.
